Turkey Vultures

[Stacykins]

Quote:
If you start hearing "graaaaaaaaains, GRAAAAAAAAAAAINS!" moaning from your coop, run!

 

[mfatpony]

this is interesting. there have been a pair of turkey vultures on my property for as long as I remember. I could catch them almost every morning doing the circle pattern hunting for dead stuff in the fields.
live chickens started to turn up missing. the usual culprit here is coyote since we found no remains. stray dogs usually kill and leave.
to my amazement I noticed a turkey vulture perched on the utility pole by the chicken pen. that bird spent the better part of the day just sitting there watching those chickens. I also noticed the lone one circling over the birds when they were out. I don not think he was one of the two that have been here forever. they never showed the slightest interest in anything living. this one even gave chase to a jack rabbit. I never seen him get a hen . but after he left we never lost another. If I had not watched him give chase to the jack I would not even think a turkey vulture would hunt live prey. in the end I guess all animals are adaptive .
I also resisted the urge to fire a few shots to scare him off because his behavior and interest in living small animals was so intense. the other two I have stood in the large fields and had them circle to within feet of me. they show no fear or real interest they just keep going looking for the scent of something dead
this was a singular event and have never seen this behavior displayed again after this one moved on.
have found a few vague references to turkey vultures killing prey but its mostly disputed and I wouldn't think it common.