Campbell, M. (2015). Biodiversity and Vulture-Canid Relations. J Biodivers Endanger Species, 3, e122.
Conclusions
The evidence hints that the more eagle-like Old World vultures have a more equal relationship than the New World vultures with scavenging canids. Further study on this difference is important for three reasons. Vultures have declined in many Eurasian and African countries and canids (including feral dogs) have increased their scavenging role. Hence, a vulture population recovery must acknowledge the competitive role of canids. Also, as condor recovery programs are gathering ground in the Americas, the coyotes are possible impediments, possibly to a greater degree than jackals would be to old world vultures. Canids have a strong sense of smell and may precede vultures at hidden carcasses (condors and Old World vultures lack a sense of smell), hence when more visible carcasses are removed for sanitation purposes, conflicts may emerge between vultures and canids over the few remaining food sources. This encourages possibilities for detailed field research, which may increase our knowledge of the ecological relations of vultures and link the somewhat disparate studies of vulture evolution and biology with ecology and conservation possibilities.
Conclusions
The evidence hints that the more eagle-like Old World vultures have a more equal relationship than the New World vultures with scavenging canids. Further study on this difference is important for three reasons. Vultures have declined in many Eurasian and African countries and canids (including feral dogs) have increased their scavenging role. Hence, a vulture population recovery must acknowledge the competitive role of canids. Also, as condor recovery programs are gathering ground in the Americas, the coyotes are possible impediments, possibly to a greater degree than jackals would be to old world vultures. Canids have a strong sense of smell and may precede vultures at hidden carcasses (condors and Old World vultures lack a sense of smell), hence when more visible carcasses are removed for sanitation purposes, conflicts may emerge between vultures and canids over the few remaining food sources. This encourages possibilities for detailed field research, which may increase our knowledge of the ecological relations of vultures and link the somewhat disparate studies of vulture evolution and biology with ecology and conservation possibilities.
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