Missouri cattlemen have drawn attention to a little known predatory behavior of black headed buzzards (aka Black Vulture). Even Audubon describes the perplexing behavior in their description of the bird, “. . . May kill and eat young of some birds, sea turtles; sometimes eats newborn young of larger mammals.” < link >
The black vultures hang out primarily during calving season and swoop down after the baby calf, poking the calf’s eyes out to disable it and then going in for the kill usually starting on the backside of the calf. It’s a vicious attack and a painful death for the animal. – Mike Deering, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association
Shorter wings and tail make the <Black Vuture> appear smaller than Turkey Vulture, but looks are deceptive: body size is about the same, and aggressive Black Vultures often drive Turkey Vultures away from food.
Source: Feedstuffs, July 19, 2019. Link. Missouri’s cattlemen are not looking to change the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 which makes it a crime for farm and ranch families to protect their livestock without a permit that takes weeks to months to obtain. They seek quicker permitting processes without unnecessary bureaucracy including proactively issue of permits before there are dead calves.
INSIGHTS: The Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) < link > is from the family New World Vultures < link >which includes the carrion-eating, flesh-headed Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) and the California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)