The vulture is a large scavenger bird, generally gregarious. There are numerous species of vultures and some can even coexist without problems thanks to specialization.
However, the vulture is usually a threatened species in most of the habitats in which it lives. What are the causes? What resources does a vulture need to survive and what factors threaten the survival of its species?
In this article on our site we will review the needs of such a beautiful bird, read on to find out:
Different families, different needs
Before beginning to understand the basic needs of the vulture we must know that it is a generic name because there are two families of vultures very different: the accipitridae and the cathartidae. In addition to a different hunting mode they also have different physical attributes.
Something that vultures all over the world have in common is that they are animals that live in communities of several individuals. They require contact with other congeners to ensure their survival beyond the breeding season. However, solitary vultures also exist.
Vultures that live in groups need a large habitat, large areas relatively free of human presence where the scavenger species that coexist there can feed and procreate without getting into too much competition.
Vulture feeding
The vulture is a scavenger, that is, it feeds on the bodies of other dead animals, which may be in a state of decomposition.
It does not matter if the animal has died naturally or if it is the remains left by other large predators, the sharp beaks of the vultures and their flexible neck will allow them to take advantage of all the soft tissue of the carcass and part of the skeleton.
Species adapted to feed on certain less accessible areas of animals often have a larger “bald” area, that is, the head and neck covered with down rather than feathers, such asresult of evolution that seeks to avoid outbreaks of disease arising from the difficulty of maintaining correct hygiene of the plumage in these areas. They also have a rough tongue that helps them better reach the tendons of dead animals.
There are even vultures like the bearded vulture that feeds mainly on the skeleton of other animals (it accounts for 60-70% of their diet).
In any case, we must know that the survival instinct resides equally in all animals if they are hungry. For this reason, it should not surprise us that the vulture can attack live prey in times of scarcity. Its large size, robust claws and pointed beak allow it to hunt like any other predator. This behavior is not usual in vultures and can only occur in certain species, as is the case of the black vulture.
For some time now, some vultures have attacked live prey (sick or weakened) for the reasons we will see below. Keep reading!
The vulture, an endangered animal
The vulture faces two great enemies: the first of them is the poison, guilty of the delicate situation in which he finds himself many species of vulture are found in Europe.
Although it is a practice punishable by law, the placement of meat or carcasses of poisoned animals is still a fairly common practice that is sometimes carried out by some people related to the hunting sector and others with livestock extensive.
They do not seek to eliminate the vulture but certain large predators, such as the wolf or some birds of prey, but the vultures end up feeding either on the poison traps or on their victims, and they also end up being poisoned. It is fair to clarify that not all hunters or ranchers place poison, and at my own risk, I assure you that those who do are a scourge both for the environment and for their sector. And it's not that I have any sympathy for the hunters, but I like to speak out, it wouldn't be fair to include them all.
In Africa, vultures are often poisoned by poachers of other protected animals, such as elephants or rhinoceroses. They seek to prevent the vultures from pointing out to the guards where there is a carcass of a large animal.
The other great threat to the survival of the vulture is the destruction of theirnatural habitats, including their fragmentation.
The vulture requires large territories where several breeding pairs can thrive. And here forest fires must be taken into account, a recurring problem in the Iberian Peninsula, where the largest population of black vultures in the world lives. The black vulture in particular needs dense (and extensive) forests of oaks and cork oaks to prosper satisfactorily. Some species of vulture thrive on rocky sites, it all depends on where the pairs of vultures build their nests.
Other threats and their solution
In a balanced ecosystem, the vulture only requires large areas far from man to survive, since it feeds on all kinds of carrion. Hunting activity, when carried out with little control, leaves the vulture's environment devoid of many of the sources of food for the colony of these birds. A very typical example is the relationship between hunting and the populations of hares and rabbits in Europe.
This leads the vulture to need to feed on dead animals from extensive farming to compensate for the scarcity of resourcesAnd the problem appears when by law dead specimens cannot be left without being removed, for he alth reasons.
The solution in this case is simple: it would be enough to move these corpses to feedlots or suitable areas where they are not a danger to the he alth of nearby human populations. For example, place them away from water currents. Unfortunately, not all legislation contemplates this option.
When food is scarce, some vulture specimens can go from their natural scavenging diet to develop certain hunting attitudes, generally with animals dedicated to livestock, and a new conflict of interest arises.
The direct hunting of the vulture as a trophy or the accidental deaths by electrocution with electrical wires are isolated cases that do not constitute the great problem that the vulture faces.
What does the vulture need?
As an individual or colony, the vulture needs large areas suited to the needs of each species, with little human presence in them and sufficient resources.
You need a legislation that protects you and avoids, as far as possible, the use of poisons and the deforestation of its natural environment.
In the event of a shortage of natural food sources, we must act so that some naturally dead specimens from livestock are placed in feedlots located at strategic points, in order to avoid possible damage by from the vulture to the local extensive livestock.
Join the fight for the survival of the vulture
The vulture is one of those animals that is associated with misfortune or that causes repulsion due to its diet. But it does a commendable job within ecosystems, after all it is a scavenger that does not transmit diseases.
As an environmentalist, I would like to take advantage of this text to invite the reader not to consider the vulture as an animal of ill omen, but as an ally of human beings and the he althiness of the ecosystems where they live.
