Turkey Vultures stalking chicks??

[NorthernMIFlock]

I am wondering if anyone has ever lost a chick to a vulture. We are in very rural northern MI and 2 days ago my husband saw a vey large black bird hanging out by our coop and run. Later that day, my son witnessed that same large black bird (4ish foot wing span) smack its wings on the ground and try to take one of our 2 week old chicks. The broody momma was FIERCE and the giant bird dropped the chick after a scuffle with the momma. She has been free ranging with them for the last week or so, but never too far from the coop. The poor baby didn’t make it, had a puncture wound under the wing . We have bald eagles, several different hawks, owls etc. but I’ve never heard of a Turkey vulture stalking chicks. Should I be on the lookout for something else?? Neither one of them could really figure out for sure what species of bird it was.

 

[Chickeroonie keeper]

I’ve had a vulture around my chickens before, on the ground near their run, so it’s defiantly a possibility. Otherwise crows/ravens have been seen near my coop before too. But I do know vultures will try to attack chicks/chickens

 

[McChooky]

Most large birds eat the eggs and chicks of smaller birds even crows.Ravens and vultures will even kill chickens if they have nothing else to eat.Free ranging chicks in a covered run is the best way to raise them if you don't want losses

 

[Krugerrand]

From what I've read .... Black vultures will go after live food. Turkey vultures will only go after dead food. That said, I've advised my kids that if a turkey vulture is particularly hungry it can make it's own dead food from live food.

edit to add a link:

https://www.hawkmountain.org/raptors/turkey-vulture

Feeding Habits​

Turkey Vultures feed almost entirely on carrion and human garbage. Although on rare occasions Turkey Vultures catch live prey, including young or sick birds and mammals, Black Vultures kill live prey more frequently, and accounts of Turkey Vultures eating live prey often involve mistakenly identified Black Vultures. Vultures also eat plant material including pumpkins, coconuts, juniper berries, and grapes. Mammals serve as the predominant source of carrion, but dead birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates also are consumed. Vultures prefer to eat “freshly” dead carrion, but they also will feed on decaying carcasses. The species lacks powerful feet to carry its food, and most carrion is consumed where it is found. Turkey Vultures compete for carrion with Black Vultures in North America, and with Black Vultures, Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures, Greater Yellow-headed Vultures, King Vultures, and Andean Condors in Latin America. On their wintering grounds in Venezuela, migrant Turkey Vultures from North America displace smaller, resident Turkey Vultures from preferred feeding sites. Because the Vultures find food using their sense of smell as well as by sight, they are able to locate carcasses on the forest floor beneath dense forest canopies. In North America, the Turkey Vulture is the only vulture with a highly developed sense of smell. Black Vultures, are more aggressive than these Vultures and will often follow them to carcasses and displace them from the carcass.

 

[sourland]

From what I've read .... Black vultures will go after live food. Turkey vultures will only go after dead food. That said, I've advised my kids that if a turkey vulture is particularly hungry it can make it's own dead food from live food.

edit to add a link:

I agree that it was more likely a black vulture rather than a turkey vulture.

 

[NorthernMIFlock]

I honestly never knew there was a difference. Thank you for this info. We have a flock guardian dog but he was napping in the house at they time . Im just super impressed with the broody momma, she put up a good fight for those babies, her feathers were all over the area.