FLIGHT BEHAVIOR OF BLACK AND TURKEY VULTURES: IMPLICATIONS FOR REDUCING BIRD–AIRCRAFT COLLISIONS

Abstract

Abstract Mid-air collisions with black vultures (Coragyps atratus) and turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) regularly cause substantial damage to military and civilian aircraft. Information concerning the flight behavior of black and turkey vultures potentially could improve predictive models designed to reduce bird strikes by aircraft. We examined the flight behavior of black and turkey vultures at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina, USA, and determined whether flight characteristics were predictable with respect to weather and time variables. We captured birds at their primary roost and subsequently relocated them via aerial telemetry from 11 February 2002 through 29 January 2003. One hundred eighty of 326 locations (55%) for 8 black vultures and 129 of 206 locations (63%) for 5 turkey vultures were of flying birds. Black vultures flew at an average altitude of 169 ± 115 (SD) m above ground level, whereas turkey vulture flight altitude averaged 163 ± 92 m. Our results contrast with those of pre...