Research begins to study impact of black vultures on livestock

Like a parent who would not select a favorite kid, I have trouble isolating one bird as the best of the bunch. I’m frequently wowed by the woodpeckers that flock to my suet feeders in the winter. I’m captivated by the brilliant colors of the cardinals, blue jays and goldfinches. Obviously, eagles and other big birds of prey like hawks and owls soar on the cool meter.

Then there are the great game birds like geese and grouse or quail and quacking ducks. Everything is impressive about wild turkeys. In Missouri there are more than 200 different species identified in the state Department of Conservation‘s online field guide from gulls to great blue herons.

Still when forced to pick, I usually give the nod to vultures. They are impressive in size, have fascinating habits, and provide an important environmental service that no one else would enjoy. But now comes news that one of the two species in Missouri is a marked man. Turkey vultures can be seen soaring anywhere in the state and even get your attention when their shadows eclipse the sun. Black vultures, which are more rare here, are the ones targeted for the trouble they cause.

A multi-year study was launched this spring by the conservation department and the United States Department of Agriculture to better understand black vulture movement and human interactions. The species may prey on newborn calves, their vulnerable mothers, and smaller farm animals such as baby lambs and goats.

“Black vulture populations in Missouri have been growing and expanding in recent years,” said Alan Leary, conservation department wildlife management coordinator. “As a result, more landowners are reporting conflicts with them.”

The study captured 89 black vultures near the Missouri-Arkansas border and marked them with a white tag on their right wing. The tags may be visible from below while the birds soar or while birds are perched. Twenty-eight vultures were also equipped with radio transmitters to track their daily movements.

All sightings of tagged black vultures should be reported at reportband.gov. Information can also be emailed to USDA biologist Eric Tillman at Eric.A.Tillman@usda.gov.

While the two are very similar looking, turkey vultures are much more common in Missouri, and they are slightly larger with a wingspan of up to six feet; the black vulture stands a few inches shorter with a wingspan of less than five feet.

The black vulture flaps its wings often, while the turkey vulture soars almost effortlessly when it finds rising summer thermals. The turkey vulture’s silhouette in flight is a V shape, while the black vulture holds his wings in a flat line. Up close, the big difference is head color. A turkey vulture’s bald pate has distinct red color, while the black vulture’s head is black or gray.

The turkey vulture hunts by sight and smell and can spot potential food up to two miles away. The black vulture relies on his keen eyesight to find food, and they frequently look for turkey vultures already dining on something. The black vultures are smaller but they are not shy, so they challenge and chase away the turkey vultures. The two share the curved beak look of other predator birds like eagles and hawks, but they use the tool differently. The hook is used for holding and tearing flesh.

Both vultures’ disgusting dining habits come in handy as a means of defense. Their projectile vomiting skill allows them to summon their supper and spit up to six feet with deadly accuracy.

Vultures play an important role in nature by eating carrion, or dead animals. Vultures have acids in their stomachs that metabolize diseases, such as rabies, and remove the contagions from the environment.

With all their positive attributes, they are hard not to like, so hopefully the new study finds common ground for the big birds and the farmers who are concerned about the potential for livestock losses.

John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.