Buzzards

[BRUSH@UConnVM.UConn.Edu]

In North America  buzzards are generally Turkey Vultures, not large hawks. The
NA equalivent of Buteo buteo would be B. jamaicensis, the Red-tail Hawk.
   In regards to food habits and digestive capacity, it is hard to beleive that
vultures or other carior eaters cannot digest 'fresh' meat. They certainly do
in capaticity. I suspect that in the wild there may be some delay in arrival
at the food source, but that's a transportation problem. It is my understanding
that vultures have the standard array of protein digesting enzymes.

   Alan Brush
   Physiology & Neurobiology                  Fax 203-486-3303
   University of Connecticut                  Brush@Uconnvm.uconn.edu
   Storrs, CT