What Animals Eat Vultures? A Detailed Look At Vulture Diets

Vultures play an important role as nature’s clean-up crew, feeding on carrion to help prevent the spread of diseases. But have you ever wondered what eats these iconic scavenging birds? As it turns out, not too many animals see vultures as tasty meals.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: While adult vultures don’t have many natural predators, their eggs and young are vulnerable to attack. Predators like eagles, owls, foxes, coyotes, and even some snakes will eat vulture eggs and chicks when given the opportunity.

Vultures Have Few Natural Predators as Adults

Vultures’ Primary Defense is Disease Resistance

As scavengers that feast on decaying carcasses, vultures have extremely strong immune systems to withstand bacteria and viruses from rotting meat that would sicken other animals (1). Their stomach acid is exceptionally corrosive, allowing them to digest infected tissue that could contain dangerous pathogens like anthrax, rabies, and botulism (2).

This gives mature vultures a high degree of protection against predation.

Very few species directly hunt adult vultures due to their disease resistance. However, a few large birds of prey like eagles, hawks and owls have been known to kill young fledgling vultures and eggs. But even these predators generally avoid tangling with fully grown vultures.

Large Size and Flying Ability Offer Protection

In addition to disease defense, vultures’ formidable size makes them challenging prey. Most species are over 2 feet tall with wingspans exceeding 6 feet wide (3). For example, Andean condors, one of the world’s largest flying birds, can weigh over 30 pounds and have an impressive 10-foot wingspan.

Vultures also utilize their superior flying skills to evade danger. They are incredibly graceful in the air with exceptional eyesight to spot threats from great distances. At the first sign of an approaching predator, vultures will take to the skies and quickly soar out of attack range.

Their lofty vantage point allows them to survey the ground for miles while circling above the landscape away from harm.

Sources:

1. National Zoo
2. Audubon
3. Seasons and Suppers

Eggs and Chicks Face More Threats

Ground Nests Leave Eggs Exposed

Vultures build their nests directly on the ground, which leaves their eggs vulnerable to predation. Since the eggs are not protected by trees or shrubs, they are easily spotted by predators. Ground-dwelling mammals like foxes, coyotes, and raccoons often raid vulture nests for an easy meal.

Even ants and beetles may eat unattended vulture eggs. Without the dedicated vigilance of parent vultures, very few eggs would survive to hatching.

Snakes are also major predators of vulture eggs. Raccoons and coyotes may dig up nests to reach buried eggs, while snakes can slither right into an above-ground nest. Boa constrictors are a particular threat to vulture eggs and chicks in Central and South America.

Unfortunately for the parent vultures, there’s not much they can do to protect their eggs from these wily predators.

Chicks Can’t Initially Escape

Newly hatched vulture chicks are essentially sitting ducks. Covered in downy feathers, they lack the wing power needed to escape predators in the first weeks after hatching. Though adult vultures are very protective of their young, they cannot be at the nest constantly.

This gives predators an opportunity to snatch unattended chicks.

Foxes often pick off young vulture chicks, even climbing trees to reach tree-nesting species. Chicks that have wandered from the nest are particularly vulnerable. Larger raptors like eagles, hawks and owls may also prey on chicks. Snakes pose a major threat to small chicks unable to flee the nest.

Monitor lizards, in habitats where they overlap with vultures, are also known for raiding nests and consuming eggs and chicks.

The first few weeks after hatching are an extremely dangerous time for vulture chicks. Their survival depends on having attentive parents and avoiding detection by hungry predators. Those that make it to fledging age have run a gauntlet of threats to their lives.

Once capable of flight, a chick’s odds of survival greatly improve.

Eagles and Owls Target Eggs and Chicks

Several predatory bird species, including eagles and owls, will prey on vulture eggs and chicks when given the opportunity. These large raptors are opportunistic hunters and will not pass up an easy meal.

Eagles Raid Nests for Eggs and Hatchlings

Eagles, such as the golden eagle and bald eagle, are known to raid vulture nests to eat eggs and small chicks. Their powerful talons and sharp beaks make quick work of breaking into nests build on cliffs or in trees.

If the adult vultures are away from the nest foraging, eagles will take advantage and swoop in to snatch a nutritious snack.

In one study conducted in Spain, over a five year period, researchers found golden eagles were responsible for preying on 68% of griffon vulture nests in the early breeding season from December to February (Rivera-Ortega et al 2021).

The eagles targeted the nests containing eggs, causing detrimental impacts on griffon vulture breeding success.

Owls Seize Opportunities for An Easy Meal

Like eagles, owls are stealthy and effective night-time hunters. Large species like the Eurasian eagle owl and great horned owl have the strength and capabilities to prey on vultures, mainly by attacking unattended nests.

In one shocking incident reported in India, a Eurasian eagle owl was documented killing and eating an entire family of three adult Egyptian vultures over the course of two nights (Muralidhar and Barve 2020).

Sadly, the vultures had recently laid eggs and were likely protecting their nest when attacked.

While owls mainly hunt small mammals and birds under 1 kg, researchers have witnessed them carrying off animals up to 28 times their own weight. When presented with the opportunity, they will capitalize on grabbing an easy meal of vulture eggs or chicks.

To learn more on threats facing vultures, visit the Vulture Conservation Foundation and National Audubon Society.

Mammalian Predators Also Pose a Threat

Foxes

Foxes are often seen as a threat to vulture nests and eggs. With a strong sense of smell, foxes can follow carrion scent trails to locate vulture nesting grounds. Though unable to easily access eggs or chicks in high cliff ledges or large nests, foxes may prey on newly fallen nestlings or steal unattended eggs in more vulnerable ground or bush nests.

Certain species like the red fox can even climb trees to access some aerial nests. Overall, foxes pose a moderate threat to certain types of vulture nests but their impact is generally low.

Coyotes

Coyotes also pose risks particularly for juvenile vultures just fledging their nests. As opportunistic predators subsisting largely on carrion themselves, coyotes often frequent the same feeding grounds as vultures.

The quick, agile canines can snatch weak fledglings as the young birds take their first short flights from elevated nests to the ground. However, healthy adult vultures are typically able to defend themselves with size, strength and aggression.

Like foxes, the threat of coyotes is situationally impactful but quite limited for most established vulture colonies.

Other Mammalian Predators

Certain other mammalian predators like badgers, wolves, bears, bobcats and mountain lions may also occasionally prey on vulture eggs, chicks or fledglings when the opportunity arises. However, most lack the strong prey drive, tree-climbing ability and highly carnivorous habits to specifically seek out these challenging avian targets.

Accidental falls, unattended eggs or vulnerable stray fledglings likely account for most cases of predation. Overall, the threat from mammals is quite low compared to other animals according to a 2022 study published in National Geographic.

Vultures tend to favor relatively inaccessible rock ledges for nesting which limits access for mammalian hunters.

Snakes Sometimes Prey on Eggs

It’s no secret that vultures’ main food source comes from scavenging dead animals. However, snakes sometimes threaten vulture eggs and hatchlings as a food source of their own. Though vultures seldom fall prey to predators in adulthood, their eggs and chicks can be more vulnerable.

Snakes Raid Nests for Nutrition

Vultures nest on secluded cliffs and in trees, laying 1-3 eggs per clutch. If a hungry snake discovers the nest, it may eat the nutritious eggs. Snakes like rat snakes and king snakes are agile climbers able to access arboreal nests, while other species raid ground nests.

Once eggs hatch, the snake may also snatch a defenseless chick, swallowing it whole. Reptiles get essential nutrients and calories from avian eggs and hatchlings, providing energy for growth and reproduction.

Species Known to Pilfer Eggs

The main snake culprits threatening vulture nests include:

• Rat snakes
• King snakes
• Racers
• Milk snakes
• Coachwhips
• Gopher snakes
• And more…

These agile, opportunistic snakes are always looking for their next meal. Attacking undefended eggs and chicks when discovered allows them to conserve energy instead of hunting prey that can flee or fight back.

Limited Data on Frequency

Quantifying how often snakes infiltrate vulture nests proves difficult. Nesting sites are remote and hard for researchers to monitor regularly. This forces scientists to rely on anecdotal reports.

But evidence clearly shows snakes view unattended eggs and chicks as easy pickings. Their raids likely threaten a small but meaningful % of vulture offspring each year, hampering reproduction. Their predation joins other pressures vultures face, like habitat loss and poisoning.

This data shows vultures invest significant time and energy in laying and incubating eggs each season. Snake raids threaten wasting these efforts if they discover the nests.

Conclusion

While vultures have adapted to avoid predators in adulthood, their offspring remain vulnerable in the nest. However, enough chicks survive to keep vulture populations stable across their range.

Understanding vulture predation dynamics is important ecologically. Vultures play a key waste-disposal role, and declines in their numbers can allow disease to spread. By studying what preys on vultures, we can better conserve these essential scavenging birds.