LEXINGTON, Ky. – A 2017 USDA report on cattle and calf losses in the United States reported that vultures were responsible for 10 percent of all calves lost to predators. Now researchers from the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and Purdue University want to get to the heart of the problem.

In conjunction with the USDA Wildlife Services and the Denis H. Heeke Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in southern Indiana, the schools are requesting that producers donate calves or other livestock to the research effort if they believe the animal was lost to black vultures.

“The goal of this project is to determine the characteristics of an animal killed by a black vulture versus one that is just scavenged upon,” said Matthew Springer, UK assistant professor of wildlife management, who is heading up the effort. “This research should help inform any indemnity loss applications through the USDA Farm Service Agency.”

Springer said that the group will be prioritizing animals that producers personally saw being attacked. Upon notification, someone from UK will pick up the animals and take them to the Heeke lab for examination of injuries and necropsy. Researchers will then catalog the results to determine the features of a vulture attack.

The team is also attempting to locate black vulture nest sites throughout the Bluegrass State as part of a larger black vulture research effort in the Southeast United States. The larger project is a collaboration with the Murray State University (MSU) Biology Department and USDA Wildlife Services.

“Our goal with the larger study is to better understand the nesting behavior and survival of black vulture nests as well as fledgling movement and survival rates,” Springer said. “The research fits into a larger overall push by USDA Wildlife Services to better understand black vulture populations and behaviors. This project should help us understand the reasons for the increase in black vulture populations and help minimize human-vulture conflicts in the future.”

To complete the study, the researchers will monitor vulture nests using trail cameras to observe nesting behavior and any predation events until the chicks leave the nest. Springer and his team will briefly visit nest sites every 10-14 days to collect the memory card and check the nesting status. They will attach GPS transmitters to a subset of fledglings when they reach the necessary size and age later in the summer.

While black vultures and turkey vultures are often seen together, they are actually different species. Turkey vultures are recognizable by their red heads. The black vulture has a black head and appears smaller than the turkey vulture with shorter wings. The undersides of their wings have white tips which can be seen while in flight.

Both turkey and black vultures scavenge animals which have died from various causes. Black vultures, however, can attack and kill calves, lambs, piglets and other vulnerable animals. This predatory behavior often results in serious injury to livestock, as vultures target the eyes and soft membranous extensive tissues. The livestock often die from the attack or must be euthanized due to the extent of their injuries.

Vultures are currently federally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This makes it unlawful to take, capture or kill the birds without a Migratory Bird Depredation Permit.

Cattle producers interested in helping with the projects should contact Springer at mattspringer@uky.edu, 859-257-8633, or Phil Kavouriaris at MSU at msu.blackvultures@murraystate.edu, 270-288-6097.