Predation on Living Prey by the Black Vulture

Sprunt, Alexander

doi:10.2307/4080045

Cited by 4 publications

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“…Black Vultures are opportunistic scavengers and occasionally prey on wild and domestic mammals. The majority of the predation cases were recorded in North America (Sprunt 1946, Lovell 1952, Lowney 1999, Avery & Cummings 2004, particularly on animals that were trapped, sick, injured, or anesthetized in captivity (Crider & McDaniel 1967, Mueller & Berger 1967, Glading & Glading 1970. In South America, newborn domestic animals account for most herbivorous mammals preyed by Black Vultures (Sick 1997), but there are also records of predation on newborn wild animals, such as South American sea lion (Ottaria flavescens, Pavés et al 2008), waterbird nestlings, and hatching turtles (Sick 1997, Salera-Junior et al 2009, Frixione 2010.…”

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“Wanted Dead or Alive:” Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus) Feeding on a Live Capybara (Hydrochoerus Hydrochaeris)

et al. 2018

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∙ Although vultures are scavengers that feed mainly carcasses, they occasionally may feed on living tissue of vulnerable vertebrates. In South America, most records of vulture attacks on live animals refer to newborns of domes‐ tic mammals. Here, we describe the behavior of a group of Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) feeding on a live capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris). The capybara had low mobility, high alopecia, and showed injuries in its dorsal region. The vultures insistently pursued the capybara and pecked directly on its injuries to feed on live tissue. The capybara tried to shake‐off and bite the vultures and escaped from them by diving into the water. We suggest that the observed behaviors are compatible with an extreme case of semi‐parasitic cleaning behavior by vultures on a live wild mammal.Resumo ∙ “Procurado vivo ou morto”: Urubus‐de‐cabeça‐preta (Coragyps atratus) alimentando‐se de capivara viva (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) Os urubus são aves necrófagas que se alimentam principalmente de carcaças, mas ocasionalmente alimentam‐se de tecidos vivos de vertebrados vulneráveis. Na América do Sul, a maioria dos ataques de urubus a animais vivos tem como vítimas mamíferos domésticos recém‐nascidos. Neste trabalho descrevemos o comportamento de um grande grupo de Urubus‐de‐cabeça‐preta (Coragyps atratus) que bicavam e alimentavam‐se de tecidos vivos de uma capivara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris). A capivara apresentava mobilidade reduzida, com elevada alopecia e ferimentos na região dorsal de seu corpo. Os urubus perseguiram insistentemente a capivara e bicaram diretamente sobre suas feridas para alimentarem‐se de tecido vivo. A capivara sacudiu‐se e tentou morder os urubus e mergulhou em um reservatório para fugir das aves. Assim, concluímos que os comportamentos observados referem‐se a um caso extremo de semiparasitismo entre um grupo de urubus e um mamífero herbívoro silvestre.

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“Wanted Dead or Alive:” Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus) Feeding on a Live Capybara (Hydrochoerus Hydrochaeris)

et al. 2018

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“…The negative role of the black vultures (Coragyps atratus) has been described in relation to their attacks on neonates of some domestic species, for example, cattle (Umberger et al, 2009), pigs (Hagopian, 1947;Lovell, 1947) and sheep (Sprunt, 1946;Umberger et al, 2009). Recently, new evidence has arisen following an increase in the population of black vultures in the United States (around 2.5% per year, according to Lowney, 1999), with an increase (around 18%) in the reports of casualties of newborn farm animals because of vulture attacks (Tillman et al, 2002;Humphrey et al, 2004).…”

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The presence of black vultures at the calving sites and its effects on cows’ and calves’ behaviour immediately following parturition

Toledo

Costa

Shet

et al. 2013

Animal

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Black vultures (Coragyps atratus) are often present near calving sites, and under this situation they may play a positive role by removing animal carcasses and afterbirth or a negative role by attacking neonate calves or disturbing cow-calf behaviours following parturition. Cow-calf behaviour was recorded over a 4-year study period from a total of 300 births involving 200 Nellore, 54 Guzerat, 20 Gyr and 26 Caracu cows. The calving site in relation to the location of the herd, considering cow-calf pairs within, close or distant to the herd, the presence of vultures and the behaviour of cows and calves were recorded instantaneously, at 5-min interval. On average, vultures were present at 80% of the calving sites. The frequency of vultures present at calving sites was dependent on the years for the Nellore herd, increasing from 1998 to 2003. When vultures were present, the time that the cow was in contact with its calf decreased, and the percentage of time that the cow was standing still increased. Vultures were observed pecking cows and their neonates during 34.1% of all recordings. However, in only two cases pecking injuries were actually observed on calves that were noted to be very weak. The preliminary results suggest that although black vultures cannot be characterized as a predator of neonate calves, they sometimes attack neonate calves and their presence near the calving sites alter the behaviours of cows and calves.

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Forensic investigations of suspected livestock depredation by vultures: scientific tools for compensation programmes

Rebollada-Merino,

Gómez-Buendía,

Domínguez

et al. 2024

Journal of Comparative Pathology

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Predation on Living Prey by the Black Vulture

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

“Wanted Dead or Alive:” Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus) Feeding on a Live Capybara (Hydrochoerus Hydrochaeris)

“Wanted Dead or Alive:” Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus) Feeding on a Live Capybara (Hydrochoerus Hydrochaeris)

The presence of black vultures at the calving sites and its effects on cows’ and calves’ behaviour immediately following parturition

Forensic investigations of suspected livestock depredation by vultures: scientific tools for compensation programmes

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