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Mexican Vultures


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Cattlemen in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas are starting to lose baby calves to Mexican Vultures.  The common Turkey Vulture we have in these areas only eat dead things and they are red headed like a turkey. The Turkey Vulture does not have a sharp beak for killing so only eats dead things it finds.  The Mexican Vulture is dark headed and has a sharp beak and talons for killing things.  So far this year I have lost two baby calves to them.  They know when a baby calf is being born and will generally attack at this moment.  A mother cow is not able to fight them off as they may number 10 or more.  It is against the law to kill them but some seem to fall off fence posts of heart attacks.  Guess they have to much lead in their bodies.

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23 minutes ago, CHILLIN said:

I have always called them Buzzards. The variety around here seem to spend time soaring rather than attacking anything on the ground. National bird of Mexico.

https://www.mexconnect.com/articles/3704-mexico-s-national-bird-caracara-means-more-than-face-face

The Caracara is a totally different bird from the turkey vulure.  The Caracara is the national bird of Mexico but the bird on the Mexican flag is a Golden eagle.

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1 hour ago, rafterbr said:

Cattlemen in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas are starting to lose baby calves to Mexican Vultures.  The common Turkey Vulture we have in these areas only eat dead things and they are red headed like a turkey. The Turkey Vulture does not have a sharp beak for killing so only eats dead things it finds.  The Mexican Vulture is dark headed and has a sharp beak and talons for killing things.  So far this year I have lost two baby calves to them.  They know when a baby calf is being born and will generally attack at this moment.  A mother cow is not able to fight them off as they may number 10 or more.  It is against the law to kill them but some seem to fall off fence posts of heart attacks.  Guess they have to much lead in their bodies.

Perhaps you should take some time to study the BLACK not MEXICAN Vulture. It's a migratory bird indigenous to the entire width of the southern USA[including] Oklahoma and down to Argentina. All vultures have sharp beaks and claws probably because that is required to rip apart and eat meat. If you are a rancher,you can get a permit for one year to eliminate your problem. So, did some bigot tell you that they are called Mexican vultures? Fotos of black and turkey vultures feeding. Same beak,same talons.

vulture black.jpg

vulture turkey.jpg

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We have Black and Turkey vultures here. I think the turkey vulture is more common. Black has a grey head Turkey has a red head. The turkey vulture can be identified at a great distance as it tilts from side to side when flying. 

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2 minutes ago, cedros said:

We have Black and Turkey vultures here. I think th turkey vulture is more common

Yes both but they are equally common. the turkey vultures range is from north [as far as Canada] to south. I have seen them in action in Ontario up close and not so close in Alberta, in the fall, getting ready to migrate south.

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4 hours ago, cedros said:

We have Black and Turkey vultures here. I think the turkey vulture is more common. Black has a grey head Turkey has a red head. The turkey vulture can be identified at a great distance as it tilts from side to side when flying. 

The Turkey Vulture is prevalent  in the States, Mexico and Canada.  It is not known to kill animals.  The Black Vulture is prevalent in Texas and south of there so people in Texas and Oklahoma commonly call it the Mexican Vulture.  We have a garbage dump a few miles from me and this is where they were first spotted a few years ago.  Since than many ranchers like myself have lost calves to them.  Evidently they are drawn to the smell of blood as the cow is giving birth.  

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Sympathies, sincerely, to the OP about this.   

1 - why is this a topic for this board?

2 - any way to create a protective enclosure (think cow sized "Florida room" screened area) for the mother cows about to give birth?     $$$ but maybe a good long term investment and discourage the vultures to go elsewhere?    Lot easier than standing guard 24/7 with a rifle....

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At my nursing home right on the lake we have a yard the size of a soccer field. One day my nephew left a medium size green ball out. The buzzards or what ever they are jet black birds they were playing with the ball. It was a hoot watching them. I had never seen birds do this before. 

They were not practicting social distancing. 

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15 hours ago, CHILLIN said:

I want to know what kind of buzzard that Pedro has on his head?

To find out what sort of feathers are on my head, next chance you get to watch a parade with indigenous dancers ask, and I'm sure they will inform you that they don't wear buzzard feathers on their heads. I like to be helpful so I saved you from your usual google search.

headress feathers.jpg

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12 hours ago, rafterbr said:

The Turkey Vulture is prevalent  in the States, Mexico and Canada.  It is not known to kill animals.  The Black Vulture is prevalent in Texas and south of there so people in Texas and Oklahoma commonly call it the Mexican Vulture.  We have a garbage dump a few miles from me and this is where they were first spotted a few years ago.  Since than many ranchers like myself have lost calves to them.  Evidently they are drawn to the smell of blood as the cow is giving birth.  

Sounds like bigotry calling them Mexican when they clearly are native to all the southern USA including Oklahoma and Texas all the way down to Argentina. What would you think if a rancher from Sonora  who has had calves killed calling them Oklahoma vultures?  The description of this forum really negates any constant mention in detail of the trials and tribulations of ranching in  Oklahoma. "People resident or curious about the Lake Chapala area" is the premise here-no?

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1 hour ago, happyjillin said:

Sounds like bigotry calling them Mexican when they clearly are native to all the southern USA including Oklahoma and Texas all the way down to Argentina. ….

Lived in South and Central Texas for over 50 years in ranch country and never once heard the term Mexican vulture.  Always just buzzards. 

But we live in different times now so when I read Mexican vulture, I get it.  No problem for me, call them whatever you want.

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OK, I will call them Crested Caracara, the national bird of Mexico. I love watching them soar, especially when they are teaching the young' uns. They indicate healthy air currents, which are plentiful right now in the hills. The breezes do dry out plants and trees faster though. My apple trees and peach tree are exploding with growth now, they like the breezes too, it makes them stronger.

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I think the OP is talking about Black Vultures, also known as American Vultures  They can be identified, when in the air, by their frequent wing movements.  Turkey Vultures glide a lot more.  Black Vulture wings span is less than a Turkey Vulture and the ends of the wings have white feathers.  Both kinds can often be seen soaring in the currents  over the intersection of the libramiento and the carretera - probably waiting for the next crash.

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4 minutes ago, bournemouth said:

I think the OP is talking about Black Vultures, also known as American Vultures  They can be identified, when in the air, by their frequent wing movements.  Turkey Vultures glide a lot more.  Black Vulture wings span is less than a Turkey Vulture and the ends of the wings have white feathers.  Both kinds can often be seen soaring in the currents  over the intersection of the libramiento and the carretera - probably waiting for the next crash.

Did you not see my post with fotos of each and extensive written description?

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30 minutes ago, CHILLIN said:

OK, I will call them Crested Caracara, the national bird of Mexico. I love watching them soar, especially when they are teaching the young' uns. They indicate healthy air currents, which are plentiful right now in the hills. The breezes do dry out plants and trees faster though. My apple trees and peach tree are exploding with growth now, they like the breezes too, it makes them stronger.

Those are primarily Quetzal tail feathers and have nothing to do with the Crested Caracara.  And neither I nor the dancers have soaring live raptors landing on our heads. Here I am,helping you out again.

headress feathers.jpg

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10 minutes ago, happyjillin said:

The only one MSU-ing is gary chillin and perhaps you because those long ones are indeed Quezal tail feathers. 

MSU or BS, they are not quetzal feathers. They look like this

ans_51_01_2.jpg

 

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Sure hope they are not quetzal feathers, otherwise those dancers would be in jail. They are highly endangered and look nothing like their head dress. I watched the indigenous dancers work the tourists everyday, same head dress. My ex- brother in law (r.i.p.) who happens to be indigenous struck up a conversation with them and he was told they were wild turkey feathers. So a picture of three turkeys, the one in the middle looks like hasn't had a wash or a change of clothes for a very long time.

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5 hours ago, happyjillin said:

Sounds like bigotry calling them Mexican when they clearly are native to all the southern USA including Oklahoma and Texas all the way down to Argentina. What would you think if a rancher from Sonora  who has had calves killed calling them Oklahoma vultures?  The description of this forum really negates any constant mention in detail of the trials and tribulations of ranching in  Oklahoma. "People resident or curious about the Lake Chapala area" is the premise here-no?

I am from this area and after reading some of the comments on this forum, I thought the vultures were from here too. 

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5 hours ago, vetteforron said:

At my nursing home right on the lake we have a yard the size of a soccer field. One day my nephew left a medium size green ball out. The buzzards or what ever they are jet black birds they were playing with the ball. It was a hoot watching them. I had never seen birds do this before. 

They were not practicting social distancing. 

I think you are describing the Mexican Grackle.  The bold comedians of our local bird community.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great-tailed_grackle

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