Black vultures attack and kill cattle. Climate change is one reason they're spreading north
EMINENCE, Ky. — Allan Bryant scans the sky as he watches over a minutes-old calf huddled under a tree line with its mother. After a few failed tries, the calf stands on wobbly legs for the first time, looking to nurse.
Above, a pair of birds circle in the distance. Bryant, hoping they’re not black vultures, is relieved to see they’re only turkey vultures — red-headed and not aggressive.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm“w@?6DE=J[ E96 3=24< GF=EFC6 :D @?6 @7 E96 F8=:6DE E9:?8D x’G6 6G6C D66?[” 96 D2:5] “%96J’C6 62DJ E@ 92E6]”k^Am
kAmq=24< GF=EFC6D[ D42G6?86CD E92E D@>6E:>6D 2EE24< 2?5 <:== D:4< @C ?6H3@C? 2?:>2=D[ 5:5?’E FD65 E@ 36 2 AC@3=6> 96C6] qFE ?@H qCJ2?E 7C6BF6?E=J D66D E96 3:C5D 7@==@H:?8 2 3:CE9] w6 92D?’E =@DE 2 42=7 :? D6G6C2= J62CD[ 3FE E96J’G6 <:==65 9:D 2?:>2=D 367@C6] $@ ?@H 96 E2<6D >62DFC6D E@ DE@A E96>]k^Am
kAmx? D@>6 @7 9:D 7:6=5D[ 96 6C64ED 2 D42C64C@H @7 D@CED — 2 5625 3=24< GF=EFC6 — 2:>65 2E D42C:?8 @77 E96 3:C5D] xE’D 2 C6BF:C6>6?E @7 9:D 56AC652E:@? A6C>:E E9C@F89 E96 z6?EF4<J u2C> qFC62F[ H9:49 2==@HD 9:> E@ D9@@E 2 76H 3:C5D 2 J62C] %96 5625 3:C5 <66AD E96 =:G6 3:C5D 2H2J 7@C 23@FE 2 H66<[ 3FE E96J 6G6?EF2==J 4@>6 324<[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmxE’D 2 AC@3=6> E92E >2J 8C@H H@CD6 7@C 42EE=6 72C>6CD 2D E96 D42G6?8:?8 3:C5D’ C2?86 6IA2?5D ?@CE9H2C5[ :? A2CE 5F6 E@ 4=:>2E6 492?86] {@33J:?8 8C@FAD 92G6 366? AFD9:?8 7@C =68:D=2E:@? E92E H@F=5 2==@H =2?5@H?6CD E@ <:== >@C6 @7 E96D6 3:C5D[ H9:49 2C6 AC@E64E65 3FE ?@E 6?52?86C65] qFE 6IA6CED D2J >@C6 C6D62C49 :D ?66565 E@ 36EE6C F?56CDE2?5 9@H E96 3:C5D :>A24E =:G6DE@4< 2?5 9@H E96:C C6>@G2= 4@F=5 27764E 64@DJDE6>D]k^Am
kAm(2C>6C H:?E6CD 2?5 492?8:?8 923:E2ED 6IA2?5:?8 3:C5D’ C2?86k^Am
kAmq=24< GF=EFC6D FD65 E@ >2:?=J =:G6 :? E96 D@FE962DE6C? &]$] 2?5 72CE96C D@FE9 :? {2E:? 2?5 $@FE9 p>6C:42[ 3FE @G6C E96 A2DE 46?EFCJ E96J’G6 DE2CE65 E@ C2A:5=J DEC6E49 ?@CE9H2C5 2?5 2=D@ H6DE :?E@ E96 56D6CE $@FE9H6DE[ D2:5 p?5C6H u2C?DH@CE9[ 2 G:D:E:?8 D4:6?E:DE 2E r@C?6== {23 @7 ~C?:E9@=@8J H9@ DEF5:6D 3:C5 >:8C2E:@?]k^Am
kAm(2C>6C H:?E6CD @? 2G6C286[ 7F6=65 3J 4=:>2E6 492?86[ 2C6 >2<:?8 :E 62D:6C 7@C E96 3:C5D E@ DE2J :? A=246D E92E FD65 E@ 36 E@@ 4@=5 7@C E96>] (92E’D >@C6[ E96 9F>2? 7@@EAC:?E :? DF3FC32? 2?5 CFC2= 2C62D :D 6?C:49:?8 E96:C 923:E2Ei 56G6=@A>6?E >62?D 42CD[ 2?5 42CD >62? C@25<:==] r2EE=6 72C>D 42? 2=D@ @776C 2 3F776E @7 GF=?6C23=6 2?:>2=D 7@C GF=EFC6D E92E =62C? E96 D62D@?2= 42=G:?8 D4965F=6]k^Am
kAm“x7 E96C6’D @?6 E9:?8 H6’G6 =62C?65 7C@> 2 =@E @7 5:776C6?E DEF5:6D @7 3:C5D[ :E’D E92E E96J 2C6 G6CJ 8@@5 2E E2<:?8 25G2?E286 @7 7@@5 C6D@FC46D 2?5 C6>6>36C:?8 H96C6 E9@D6 E9:?8D 2C6[” u2C?DH@CE9 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 3=24< GF=EFC6D 2C6 AC@E64E65 3J E96 |:8C2E@CJ q:C5 %C62EJ p4E[ E96J 2C6?’E C62==J 2 >:8C2E@CJ DA64:6D[ 96 D2:5] x?DE625[ E96J 3C665[ 2?5 D@>6 5:DA6CD6 E@ ?6H 2C62D 2?5 D6EE=6 E96C6]k^Am
kAmw@H 72C>6CD 92G6 366? 562=:?8 H:E9 :Ek^Am
kAmp7E6C =@D:?8 2 42=7 E@ 2 3=24< GF=EFC6 2 564256 28@[ %@> z2CC[ H9@ C2:D6D 42EE=6 ?62C !@>6C@J[ ~9:@[ EC:65 E@ >@G6 9:D 72== 42=G:?8 D62D@? =2E6C :? E96 J62C :? 9@A6D E96 GF=EFC6D H@F=5 36 8@?6 3J E96?] qFE E92E 5:5?’E 96=A — E96 3:C5D DE2J 2== J62C[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm&?E:= ?6H3@C? 42=G6D 2C6 2 76H 52JD @=5[ “H6 ECJ E@ <66A E96> FA 4=@D6C E@ E96 32C?D[” D2:5 y@2?:6 vC:>6D[ E96 @H?6C @7 2 bd_\9625 42=7\4@H @A6C2E:@? :? w:==D3@C@[ ~9:@] $96 D2:5 E96J’G6 366? 562=:?8 H:E9 E96 3:C5D 7@C `d J62CD[ 3FE <66A:?8 E96> @FE @7 C6>@E6 7:6=5D 92D 96=A65 :>AC@G6 >2EE6CD]k^Am
kAmp??6EE6 tC:4<D6? 92D ?@E:465 E96 3=24< GF=EFC6D 7@C D6G6C2= J62CD @? 96C AC@A6CEJ[ %H:? |2A=6D u2C> :? |:=E@?[ (6DE ‘:C8:?:2[ 3FE E96J 92G6?’E J6E =@DE 2?J 2?:>2=D E@ E96>] (96? E96J 6IA64E 42=G6D 2?5 =2>3D[ E96J >@G6 E96 =:G6DE@4< :?E@ 2 32C?[ 2?5 E96J 2=D@ FD6 5@8D — vC62E !JC6?66D — EC2:?65 E@ A2EC@= E96 7:6=5D 2?5 E96 32C?J2C5 7@C C2AE@CD E92E >:89E 9FCE E96 2?:>2=D]k^Am
kAm%96 D:K6 @7 E96:C @A6C2E:@? >2<6D :E 62D:6C E@ 244@F?E 7@C 6G6CJ 2?:>2=[ 3FE “2?J =@DD H@F=5 36 D6G6C6=J 56EC:>6?E2= E@ @FC D>2== 3FD:?6DD[” D96 HC@E6 :? 2? 6>2:=]k^Am
kAm{@42= 42EE=6>6?’D 2DD@4:2E:@?D 2?5 DE2E6 72C> 3FC62FD @7E6? H@C< E@86E96C E@ 96=A AC@5F46CD 86E 56AC652E:@? A6C>:ED[ H9:49 2==@H E96> E@ D9@@E 2 76H 3:C5D 6249 J62C[ 2D =@?8 2D E96J <66A EC24< @7 :E @? A2A6C]k^Am
kAm“%96 5:77:4F=EJ H:E9 E92E :D[ :7 E96 3:C5D D9@H FA[ 3J E96 E:>6 J@F 42? 86E J@FC A6C>:E[ 86E 2== E92E E2<6? 42C6 @7[ E96 52>286 :D 5@?6[” D2:5 qC:2? $9FE6C[ 6I64FE:G6 G:46 AC6D:56?E @7 E96 x?5:2?2 q667 r2EE=6 pDD@4:2E:@?] u2C>6CD D2:5 42=G6D 42? 36 H@CE9 9F?5C65D @7 5@==2CD @C FAH2C5 @7 S`[___ @C Sa[___[ 56A6?5:?8 @? E96 3C665]k^Am
kAmp ?6H 3:== H@F=5 =6E 72C>6CD D9@@E E96 AC@E64E65 3:C5D H:E9 =6DD A2A6CH@C<k^Am
kAmx? |2C49[ =2H>2<6CD :? r@?8C6DD :?EC@5F465 2 3:== E92E H@F=5 =6E 72C>6CD 42AEFC6 @C <:== 2?J 3=24< GF=EFC6 “:? @C56C E@ AC6G6?E 562E9[ :?;FCJ[ @C 56DECF4E:@? E@ =:G6DE@4<]” |2?J 72C>6CD 2?5 @E96CD :? E96 42EE=6 :?5FDECJ 92G6 DFAA@CE65 E96 >@G6[ 2?5 E96 }2E:@?2= r2EE=6>6?’D q667 pDD@4:2E:@? :? yF=J 4@>>6?565 E96 w@FD6 }2EFC2= #6D@FC46D r@>>:EE66 7@C 25G2?4:?8 E96 3:==]k^Am
kAmu2C?DH@CE9[ @7 E96 r@C?6== =23[ D2:5 :E’D ?@E ?646DD2C:=J 2 8@@5 E9:?8 E@ >2<6 :E 62D:6C E@ <:== 3=24< GF=EFC6D[ H9:49 96 D2:5 7:== “2 DFA6C :>A@CE2?E C@=6” :? 4=62?:?8 FA “5625 DEF77]”k^Am
kAm$:>A=J <:==:?8 E96 3:C5D[ u2C?DH@CE9 D2:5[ >2J >2<6 C@@> 7@C >@C6 3@E96CD@>6 AC652E@CD @C D42G6?86CD] w6 D2:5 E9@F89 3=24< GF=EFC6D 42? =62G6 369:?5 8@CJ 52>286[ 4FCC6?E C6D62C49 5@6D?’E D9@H E92E E96J 244@F?E 7@C 2? @FED:K6 AC@A@CE:@? @7 =:G6DE@4< 562E9D]k^Am
kAmqFE >2?J 72C>6CD 2C6 F?H:==:?8 E@ 5@ ?@E9:?8]k^Am
kAm“%96J ;FDE 32D:42==J 62E E96> 2=:G6[” z2CC D2:5] “xE :D D@ 5:D8FDE:?8]”k^Am