Vulture Flight Behavior and Implications for Aircraft Safety

Authors

Michael L. Avery, USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research CenterFollow
John S. Humphrey, USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research CenterFollow
Trey S. Daughtery, USDA Wildlife Services
Justin W. Fischer, USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research CenterFollow
Michael P. Milleson, USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research Center
Eric A. Tillman, USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research CenterFollow
William E. Bruce, UUSDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research Center
W. David Walter, USDA National Wildlife Research Center

Date of this Version

2011

Comments

Published in Journal of Wildlife Management (2011) 75:1581-1587

Abstract

Growing vulture populations represent increasing hazards to civil and military aircraft. To assess vulture flight behavior and activity patterns at the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, South Carolina, we equipped 11 black vultures (Coragyps atratus) and 11 turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) with solarpowered Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite transmitters during a 2-year study (1 Oct 2006–30 Sep 2008). Turkey vultures had larger seasonal home ranges than did black vultures, and 2 turkey vultures made round-trips to Florida. Black vultures consistently spent less time in flight (8.4%) than did turkey vultures (18.9%), and black vultures flew at higher altitudes than did turkey vultures in all seasons except summer when altitudinal distributions (above ground level) did not differ. Although we recorded maximum altitudes of 1,578 mfor black vultures and 1,378 for turkey vultures, most flights were low altitude. A matrix of vulture flight altitude versus time of day revealed that >60% of vulture flight activity occurred from 4 hr to 9 hr after sunrise at altitudes below 200 m. Continuation of aggressive harassment coupled with flexible training schedules to avoid times and altitudes of high vulture activity will decrease hazards to aircraft posed by these birds.