
17 Oct The Economic Value of Scavengers: What Birds Like Larue Can Teach Us
At Avian Behavior International, we’re always excited to introduce you to our incredible birds and share their unique roles in the natural world. This week, we’re focusing on Larue, our crested caracara, and why scavengers like him play an essential role – not just in nature, but in our economy as well.
Crested caracaras, like Larue, are known as facultative scavengers. This means they have the ability to hunt for their food but also feed on carrion, or animals that are already dead. Compare this to vultures, which are obligate scavengers – meaning they rely entirely on carrion for their meals and don’t hunt at all. Both types of birds, however, serve a critical purpose in maintaining a balanced ecosystem.
But their work doesn’t just help the environment – it also saves humans money, and lots of it. When vulture populations in India plummeted by 98%, the ripple effects were staggering. Without vultures to clean up carrion, diseases spread by rotting carcasses soared, leading to billions of dollars in increased healthcare costs.
It’s a stark reminder of how these often-underappreciated birds serve as natural sanitation workers, helping to protect both wildlife and human health.
Next time you visit us and meet Larue, you’ll not only see an extraordinary bird, but you’ll also gain a new appreciation for the vital role scavengers play in keeping ecosystems – and even our economies – healthy.
You can meet Larue during our Hawk Walk with Caracara, Extreme Bird of Prey Experience , Elite Experience, where you can watch him strut his stuff up the hillside. You can also meet Larue during an Animal Trainer for a Day experience. With Larue, you never know what is going to happen on a walk (neither do we!).