Social Behavior

This chapter addresses the social behavior of vultures. Vultures are considered social species in part because they often roost communally and feed in groups. One of two of the world's most common and widespread obligate avian scavengers, the Turkey Vulture, is relatively non-social, whereas the other, the Black Vulture, is highly social. Several key innovations, including an acute sense of smell and the ability to soar effectively at low altitudes, most likely enable Turkey Vultures to be less social than most other species. The chapter then looks at the function of communal roosts and age-specific gang behavior. Overall, social behavior is best thought of as a behavioral tool for obligate scavenging birds of prey, the functionality of which varies considerably among species.