- Identification
- Large soaring scavengers with 5–6 ft wingspans and featherless heads — red on turkey vultures, gray on black vultures. Communal roosts of 20–300+ on communication towers, water tanks, and warehouse rooftops.
- Facility Damage
- Chew and tear roofing membranes, caulking, rubber seals, and wiper blades. Foul communication equipment, insulators, and solar arrays. Black vultures also prey on newborn livestock.
- Recommended Action
- Non-lethal harassment (hanging effigies, pyrotechnics, laser deterrents) is the legal front line. Physical exclusion — spikes, shock track, and netting — locks down high-value roosting surfaces. Lethal control requires a USFWS depredation permit.