Science‐driven guidelines needed to better manage and conserve black vultures in North America

• Published in: Wildlife letters 2023-06, Vol.1 (2), p.79-82
• Main Authors: Rush, Scott A., Buckley, Neil J., Zollner, Patrick A., Kluever, Bryan M., McWherter, Brooke L., Burcham, Grant N., Ma, Zhao, Wahl, Marian L., Naveda‐Rodríguez, Adrián
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2832-5869; 2832-5869
• DOI: 10.1002/wll2.12017

Black vultures ( Coragyps atratus ) provide invaluable ecological services through disposal of carrion and the mobilization of energy within the landscape. Human‐wildlife conflicts with these birds have increased as populations have grown and the species distribution has expanded. We identify critical science needed to understand conflict between black vultures and humans to inform effective management of this species in North America. It is imperative that diagnostic criteria supporting the identification of the impacts of black vulture on livestock be standardized and verified. Management guidelines that take these criteria into account will enable reduction in the potential for black‐vulture‐farmer conflict and allow us to properly investigate such conflict when it occurs. 黑头美洲鹫（ Coragyps atratus ）通过处理腐尸和促使景观中能量流动为生态系统提供了不可估量的生态服务。但随着种群增长和分布范围扩大，人类与这些鸟类之间的冲突也日益增加。我们明确了理解黑头美洲鹫与人类之间冲突的关键科学问题，为在北美对该物种的有效管理提供了信息。我们迫切需要制定标准化且被证实的判断标准，以准确评估黑头美洲鹫对家畜的影响。具有这些准则的管理指南将有助于减少黑头美洲鹫与农民之间潜在的冲突，并在冲突发生时使我们可以正确地开展调查。 Protocols, guidelines, and standards need to be developed that will allow black vultures and farmers to better coexist. A manual or protocol on identifying signs of black vulture attacks needs to be developed. Third parties need to be trained to objectively identify and certify when livestock have been definitively harmed or killed by vultures.