Vulture Facts - Missouri Department Of Conservation

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Vulture Facts

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Vultures Slow the Spread of Diseases

Vultures play a crucial role in our ecosystem. As scavengers, they eat dead animals, removing them from roadsides and other areas. Vultures not only cut down on the number of rotten, smelly carcasses but also reduce the spread of diseases.

Rapid Carcass Removal

Because vultures search for food from the air, they can travel faster and find carcasses more quickly than scavengers that walk. Vultures also tend to feed in groups. So when one vulture finds a carcass, others soon join it, and together they dispose of the dead animal very quickly. This rapid removal of carcasses keeps bacteria, parasites, and other disease-causing organisms from growing and entering the ecosystem.

When Vultures Get There First

When vultures eat a dead animal that had rabies, distemper, or other disease, they don’t get sick and they keep mammalian scavengers from eating the animal and getting the disease. But if an opossum, raccoon, or your dog were to eat that carcass, they could get sick and spread the disease to more animals.

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Made for Scavenging

Vultures are highly adapted for their scavenging lifestyle. While many animals scavenge, vultures are the only land vertebrates (animals with a backbone) that rely almost entirely on dead animals for food.

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Title Protective Microbiome and Immune System

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The bacteria and other microorganisms that live in a vulture’s stomach allow it to safely eat dangerous pathogens that would make other animals sick.

Vultures also produce antibodies that protect them against the bacteria that causes botulism (one of the deadliest known toxins). Botulin bacteria are commonly found in decaying meat.

Title Long, Broad Wings

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Long, broad wings help vultures find carcasses faster than scavengers that can’t fly. Their wings allow vultures to easily soar and travel quickly from one place to another. Trees, boulders, and hills can slow down scavengers like coyotes and possums and keep them from seeing a dead animal from a distance. With their bird’s-eye view and ability to fly over obstacles, vultures are often the first to find a carcass.

Title Bald Heads

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Bald heads help vultures stay cleaner when they eat. Vultures often stick their heads inside carcasses when they feed. If they had feathers on their heads, blood and goop would get stuck in their feathers, attracting flies or holding bacteria that could lead to an infection.

Title Excellent Sense of Smell (Turkey Vultures)

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The turkey vulture is one of only a few birds that have a well-developed sense of smell. In fact, its sense of smell may even be better than that of a dog. The ability to smell gives turkey vultures a huge advantage when searching for food. Since they don’t have to rely on sight alone, they can find carcasses more quickly than other scavenging birds and can find dead animals that are hidden under trees and bushes.

Title Great Eyesight

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When soaring, vultures can spot carcasses from as far as a mile away.

Title Hooked Beaks

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Sharp, hooked beaks help vultures tear the meat from carcasses.

Title Missouri's Vultures Body

Two species of vultures live in Missouri: turkey vultures and black vultures. Both are large, dark-colored birds with naked (featherless) heads, but with a little practice, you can learn to tell them apart.

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Turkey Vultures

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Average weight: 4 pounds

Wingspan: 6 feet

Flight pattern:

Turkey vultures hold their wings upwards in a shallow “V” shape. They rarely flap and often appear to wobble, or rock side to side, as they soar. When viewed from below, the lower half of the wings appear silver or grayish white in color.

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Black Vultures

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Average weight: 4 pounds

Wingspan: 5 feet

Flight pattern:

Black vultures hold their wings more horizontal (flatter) than turkey vultures and also flap more, often in bursts of three to four quick flaps. Their wings have white patches at the end.

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For life history information, read about these vultures in the online field guide.

+ see more - show less Link Field Guide: Turkey Vulture Link Field Guide: Black Vulture Body

Vulture ID Tips

In addition to knowing the vultures' flight patterns (above), these field marks will help you tell which vulture is which.

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Adult turkey vultures have red heads, white beaks, and coffee-brown plumage. The nostrils of turkey vultures are very large and, sometimes when viewed from the side, you can see through them.

Noppadol Paothong

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Adult black vultures have grayish heads and black plumage. They have slimmer bills than turkey vultures.

Noppadol Paothong

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When turkey vultures are viewed from below, the lower half of their wings appear silver or grayish white in color.

Dianne Van Dien

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The wings of black vultures have white patches at the ends. They appear stockier and have shorter tails than turkey vultures.

Dianne Van Dien

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Young turkey vultures have gray heads and black beaks. When identifying vultures, be sure to look at other field marks besides head color to tell if a vulture is a black vulture or juvenile turkey vulture.

Don Shelden

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To tell the difference between juvenile and adult black vultures, look closely. The heads of juvenile black vultures are slightly darker and appear less bumpy than the heads of adult black vultures.

Jim Rathert

Image Caption Turkey vultures have an extraordinary sense of smell that helps them find carrion. Note the large nostrils. Credit Jim Rathert Right to Use Photo by Jim Rathert, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation 1/8 Image Caption Black vulture adult. Credit Jim Rathert Right to Use Photo by Jim Rathert, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation 2/8 Image Caption Turkey vulture (left) and black vulture (right). Credit MDC staff Right to Use Photo by MDC staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation 3/8 Image Caption Juvenile turkey vulture in flight. Credit Dianne Van Dien Right to Use Use of this image is restricted to MDC only on this page 4/8 Image Caption Juvenile black vulture with adult black vulture in background. Credit Jim Rathert Right to Use Photo by Jim Rathert, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation 5/8 Image Caption Turkey vultures hold their wings in a shallow "V" when soaring and often tip from side to side. Credit Dianne Van Dien Right to Use Use of this image is restricted to MDC only on this page 6/8 Image Caption Although vultures are often stereotyped as dirty and "gross," they like to bathe and also spend a lot of time preening their feathers. Credit Dianne Van Dien Right to Use Use of this image is restricted to MDC only on this page 7/8 Image Caption Both black vultures and turkey vultures can be seen at the dam at Table Rock Lake, especially in the morning and evening. Credit Dianne Van Dien Right to Use Use of this image is restricted to MDC only 8/8 Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Body

Where to See Vultures in Missouri

Turkey vultures are very common in Missouri. They are found throughout the state from March to October and in the southern half all year long. Black vultures are very rarely seen in the northern half of the state but can be found in southern portions.

Great places to watch vultures include:

• Lake of the Ozarks
• Truman Lake (especially around the dam and visitor center in Warsaw)
• Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery (near Branson)
• Montauk State Park
• Blue Springs Lake (turkey vultures only)

+ see more - show less Icon Exclamation point in side a triangle Vultures are protected!

Black vultures and turkey vultures are both federally protected. It is not legal to kill, shoot, or harm them.

One exception: If vultures are damaging your property or killing livestock, you can apply for a permit to shoot a specified number of vultures on your property. But you must have this permit!

Title Frequently Asked Questions

Title If I see vultures circling, does it mean there’s something dead below?

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Not necessarily. Often when you see vultures circling, they are moving upwards, rising higher into the sky. The long, broad wings of vultures are not designed to do a lot of flapping. Instead of flapping, vultures use thermals (rising warm air) to gain altitude. When they find a thermal, they circle upwards on the rising air current until they reach the needed height, then they glide off in the direction they want to go.

Title Why do vultures hold their wings open when they are perched?

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Vultures hold their wings open to warm up in the sun and to dry their feathers after a heavy morning dew or a rainstorm. This open-winged pose is called the “horaltic pose.”

Cormorants, pelicans, and anhingas also use this open-winged pose to dry their feathers after swimming.

Title Do vultures attack people or pets?

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No. Vultures have evolved to eat dead animals and have no reason to attack a live human or pet. However, if cornered or handled, they may bite or vomit. Vultures vomit when stressed, which gets predators to back off and makes the vultures lighter for an easier takeoff.

Title Do black vultures kill livestock?

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It can be difficult to tell if a black vulture actually killed the animal it is feeding on or found it already dead. Farm animals, especially newborns, die from many causes. But black vultures sometimes do kill newborn calves and lambs. They are attracted to the afterbirth and may try to eat a newborn that is not yet able to stand and move away. Because black vultures tend to feed in groups, it can be hard for cows or ewes to scare them off, especially if they are first-time mothers.

Turkey vultures will feed on afterbirth but are not known to kill newborn animals or other livestock.

Title What can I do to deter vultures from roosting or hanging out on my property?

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Determine whether vultures are using your property as a winter or summer roost, or only as a temporary stopover during migration. Migration is generally September through November and late February through April. When migrating, vultures may hang out for only a few days, or a week or two, and then no action is needed on your part. The vultures will be leaving soon anyway.

Remove things that attract vultures.

Vultures may be attracted to an area because of trash and food waste, dead livestock, or outdoor feeding areas for pets (dog food and cat food can attract vultures). Removing these items or making them harder to access will discourage vultures from returning.

Use scare tactics to discourage vultures from returning.

If a group of vultures is regularly using trees for overnight roosting or is regularly hanging out on a rooftop, deck, or patio, you have several options for scaring them away.

• Use noise-making devices such as firecrackers, or shoot a gun into the air if you are not within city limits.
• Use flashing lights (to scare roosting vultures at night).
• Spray vultures with a water hose or set sprinklers to reach the area vultures are using.
• Hang mylar tape, bird-scare tape, or helium-filled balloons on railings or in trees.

For these tactics to be most effective:

• Start early in the season. The longer vultures use the same roost, the harder it is to get them to relocate.
• Be persistent. Use scare tactics daily until the vultures stop coming back.

Cut down the dead trees that vultures are perching in.

Vultures like to perch in dead, leafless trees during the day. If vultures are using dead trees in your yard, cut down the trees and the vultures will go somewhere else.

Hang effigies.

You can make an effigy of a vulture or buy one. Place effigies in conspicuous locations so the vultures will easily see them, such as on a roof or hung upside down in the tree where the vultures roost. To use an actual dead vulture as an effigy, you must go through the USDA or Missouri Farm Bureau. It is not legal to kill a vulture without a permit.

If the above measures fail, you can request help from your local USDA APHIS Wildlife Services office.

Title Who should I contact for help with problem vultures?

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Both MDC and USDA Wildlife Services can offer assistance and guidance on deterring vultures.

Contact your local MDC wildlife damage biologist.

Contact your local USDA Wildlife Services office.

To develop a comprehensive plan for managing black vultures that are attacking livestock, contact USDA Wildlife Services.

Title Related Content Link or File Link Turkey Vulture Description Learn more about turkey vultures from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Link or File Link Managing Vulture Damage Description Information from USDA Wildlife Services about how to deal with vultures that are damaging property. Link or File Link Black Vulture Description Learn more about black vultures from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.