Vultures consume coyotes, but only after the coyote has died. This interaction highlights vultures’ role as scavengers, removing deceased animals from the environment.
Vulture Dietary Habits
Vultures are primarily obligate scavengers, feeding almost exclusively on carrion. They possess unique adaptations that enable them to locate and consume carcasses that most other animals avoid. For instance, turkey vultures have an exceptional sense of smell, allowing them to detect the gases produced by decaying meat from considerable distances, even when a carcass is hidden from sight. Other vulture species, like black vultures, rely more heavily on keen eyesight to spot carrion from high in the sky.
Vultures feed on a wide variety of dead animals, from small rodents to large ungulates. While they prefer fresh carcasses, their highly corrosive stomach acid allows them to safely digest putrid meat. This specialized digestive system helps prevent the spread of diseases from decaying remains. When one vulture locates a carcass, others often observe and join, leading to group feeding behavior that efficiently cleans up the site.
Coyote Carcasses as a Food Source
Vultures consume coyote carcasses, like any other deceased animal. Coyotes become carrion due to natural causes, injuries, or accidents. Vehicle collisions are a significant cause of coyote mortality in many regions, making roadkill a common source of food for vultures.
Feeding on a coyote carcass typically involves multiple vultures, especially black vultures. Their strong beaks are well-suited for tearing into flesh and accessing internal organs. Vultures readily consume coyote carcasses, particularly when other food sources are scarce. This scavenging action ensures the decomposition process begins quickly, removing the remains from the landscape.
Vultures and Live Coyotes
Vultures are not predators of healthy, living coyotes. Their physical adaptations are specialized for scavenging, not for hunting live prey. Vultures lack the strong, grasping talons birds of prey use to capture and kill animals; their feet are better suited for walking. Their beaks, powerful for tearing carrion, are not designed for predation.
Vultures wait until an animal is deceased or severely incapacitated before feeding. While some species, like black vultures, opportunistically kill very small, weak, or injured animals, a healthy coyote is too large to be prey.
Ecological Roles in Scavenging
Vultures play a role as natural cleanup crews, contributing to ecosystem health by consuming carrion. Their efficient removal of dead animals prevents the buildup of decaying organic matter, reducing disease spread among wildlife and humans. By recycling nutrients from carcasses, vultures support ecosystem balance.
Coyotes also contribute to scavenging, consuming carrion alongside their predatory activities. This dual role means coyotes are part of the food web, both as consumers and, upon death, as a resource for other scavengers. The complementary scavenging behaviors of both species ensure dead biomass is broken down and nutrients return to the soil, supporting ecosystem health.