In the Ramayana, Jatayu is the vulture who tries to rescue Sita from Ravana.
Jatayu is an aged bird and a friend of King Dasharatha, Rama’s father. While Ravana carries Sita away in his flying chariot, Jatayu sees the abduction and attacks the demon king. He fights despite his age and attempts to stop the journey to Lanka.
Ravana eventually defeats Jatayu and leaves him mortally wounded. Rama and Lakshmana later find him, and Jatayu tells them that Ravana took Sita southward. Rama honors Jatayu as a heroic ally and performs funeral rites for him.
Jatayu is often confused with Sampati, his brother. Sampati appears later and helps the search party identify Lanka’s location, while Jatayu is the bird who directly confronts Ravana during the abduction.