The demography of, and factors that influence these metrics, are largely unknown for most vultures in the Americas. Survivorship of Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) may be influenced by landscape heterogeneity and human disturbance. We quantified the effects of landscape composition (Shannon’s diversity index) and configuration (contagion, edge density, and largest patch index), and human disturbance (road density) on the annual and seasonal survival probabilities of the 3 North American breeding populations (western, central, and eastern) of Turkey Vultures that spend the nonbreeding season in the southeastern portion of the Nearctic and the northern Neotropics during a 17-yr period. We used Cox’s proportional hazards models with time-varying covariates to estimate spatial and temporal changes in survival rates of adult Turkey Vultures. Road density, but not landscape composition or configuration, influenced survival rates in space and time. Overall annual survival averaged 0.87 (95% CI: 0.74–0.98). Mortality risk was low in western and central populations (hazard ratio < 1) but was 3.7 times greater for vultures in the eastern population. Survival during the breeding (0.97, 95% CI: 0.96–0.98) and outbound migration (1.0, 95% CI: 1–1) seasons was significantly higher than the other seasons. Average survival tended to be higher for nonbreeding (0.81, 95% CI: 0.71–0.88) compared to return migration (0.69, 95% CI: 0.56–0.81) seasons. Risk of mortality for all vulture populations increased with road density, and this was greater during the nonbreeding and return migration seasons. The spatial variation in road density across the Americas may generate a network of ecological traps for Turkey Vultures induced to stop in areas of greater road-kill abundance. Road killed animals acting as an attractant for vultures can increase the occurrence of vulture–vehicle collisions and potentially aggravate human–wildlife conflicts. Further analyses are needed to address survivorship and mortality factors for young birds. Our results may help to the implementation of specific mitigation efforts to reduce human–vulture conflicts and vulture mortality. For instance, concentrating efforts to remove road-killed animals in areas where road density is highest can likely reduce vulture–vehicle collisions and associated mortalities of these birds.

中文翻译：

---

在道路密度较大的地区，火鸡秃鹫的存活率会降低

对于美洲的大多数秃鹰来说，人口统计学以及影响这些指标的因素在很大程度上是未知的。土耳其秃鹫（Cathartes aura）的生存可能受到景观异质性和人类干扰的影响。我们量化了景观组成（香农多样性指数）和配置（传染、边缘密度和最大斑块指数）以及人类干扰（道路密度）对 3 个北美繁殖种群（西部、土耳其秃鹫在 17 年的时间里，在近北极东南部和新热带区北部度过非繁殖季节。我们使用带有时变协变量的考克斯比例风险模型来估计成年火鸡秃鹫存活率的空间和时间变化。道路密度，而不是景观组成或配置，影响空间和时间上的生存率。总体年生存率平均为 0.87（95% CI：0.74–0.98）。西部和中部种群的死亡风险较低（风险比<1），但东部种群的秃鹫死亡率高出3.7倍。繁殖期（0.97，95% CI：0.96-0.98）和出境迁徙期（1.0，95% CI：1-1）存活率显着高于其他季节。与回迁季节（0.69，95% CI：0.56–0.81）相比，非繁殖季节的平均存活率（0.81，95% CI：0.71–0.88）更高。所有秃鹫种群的死亡风险随着道路密度的增加而增加，在非繁殖季节和回迁季节这种风险更大。美洲各地道路密度的空间差异可能会产生一个生态陷阱网络，诱使土耳其秃鹫停在道路死亡较多的地区。道路上被杀死的动物作为秃鹫的引诱剂，可能会增加秃鹫与车辆碰撞的发生率，并可能加剧人类与野生动物的冲突。需要进一步分析来解决幼鸟的生存和死亡因素。我们的结果可能有助于实施具体的缓解措施，以减少人与秃鹫的冲突和秃鹫的死亡率。例如，在道路密度最高的地区集中力量清除道路上被撞死的动物可能会减少秃鹫与车辆的碰撞以及这些鸟类的相关死亡率。道路上被杀死的动物作为秃鹫的引诱剂，可能会增加秃鹫与车辆碰撞的发生率，并可能加剧人类与野生动物的冲突。需要进一步分析来解决幼鸟的生存和死亡因素。我们的结果可能有助于实施具体的缓解措施，以减少人与秃鹫的冲突和秃鹫的死亡率。例如，在道路密度最高的地区集中力量清除道路上被撞死的动物可能会减少秃鹫与车辆的碰撞以及这些鸟类的相关死亡率。道路上被杀死的动物作为秃鹫的引诱剂，可能会增加秃鹫与车辆碰撞的发生率，并可能加剧人类与野生动物的冲突。需要进一步分析来解决幼鸟的生存和死亡因素。我们的结果可能有助于实施具体的缓解措施，以减少人与秃鹫的冲突和秃鹫的死亡率。例如，在道路密度最高的地区集中力量清除道路上被撞死的动物可能会减少秃鹫与车辆的碰撞以及这些鸟类的相关死亡率。我们的结果可能有助于实施具体的缓解措施，以减少人与秃鹫的冲突和秃鹫的死亡率。例如，在道路密度最高的地区集中力量清除道路上被撞死的动物可能会减少秃鹫与车辆的碰撞以及这些鸟类的相关死亡率。我们的结果可能有助于实施具体的缓解措施，以减少人与秃鹫的冲突和秃鹫的死亡率。例如，在道路密度最高的地区集中力量清除道路上被撞死的动物可能会减少秃鹫与车辆的碰撞以及这些鸟类的相关死亡率。