Movement Behavior

This chapter assesses the movement behavior of vultures. Short- and long-distance movements via low-cost, soaring flight allow vultures to expand their ecological neighborhoods considerably and to better assess and monitor daily the multi-annual changes in essential resources, as well as to fine-tune their breeding seasons and geographical distributions. The chapter identifies three types of movement: dispersal, ranging movements, and migration. Dispersal can be divided into two: natal dispersal, which occur when juveniles or subadults move away from their birthplace before breeding; and breeding dispersal, which occur when adults move from their birthplace to new breeding sites. Meanwhile, ranging movements consist of movements within home ranges, the areas that individuals routinely visit to obtain the resources needed to survive and reproduce. Migration, the large-scale seasonal shifts in populations between breeding grounds and winter areas, which is a signature trait in many birds, is far less common in vultures than in other avian groups.