Looks like a scene from Harry Potter- This roost of turkey vultures ends up in this neighboorhood every year. There must me 100 or so. They don't do any damage to the roofs they just sun themselves or try and capture heat from the vents.
Enjoy- Kristi
There are some of those around here. I bet it does look spooky when there are so many.
There's a community here in Tampa Bay that is having terrible problems with black vultures. This community has been built and has seriously encroached on the bird's roosting area. These vultures are causing much damage, they have torn up screens of enclosed patios and pools, boat biminis and on and on and no one knows what to do about it...It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature!! LOL
Seriously though, it'll be interesting to see how they resolve this. I'm sure the vultures will be the losers :(
The black vulture has a very strong beak and feet they are known to cause LOTS of damage. They can also take down small animals.
The poor little turkey vulture does not have as strong a beak or feet. They really haven't done any damage to the roofs. Oh, every now and again a vent cap is turned on it's side. But they don't pick at the roofs or vomit on them as some claim. They are not capable of killing small animals either. They are very laid back and spend HOURS prening their feathers. I enjoy watching them. At night about 40 of them roost in my backyard pine trees.
Yes, Calla- it's taken some time to get use to them. One follows me around ( I may have thrown out some spoiled meat once or twice- I don't feed them often) It's a little creepy as it will fly low over me. My daughter almost dies everytime she has to get on the bus-
Talking about a spooky sight- all these HUGE birds decending at dusk into my yard. Gives me the 'woolies' sometimes.
Kristi
YOu don't see many turkey or black vultures up north. We have plenty of them down here in FL, though. You can see them circling in the skies by the dozens.
I have a buzzard story that happened to me. Many years ago I was in south america working on a remote beach. Moving down the beach on the back seat of a trail bike we could see a very large turtle dead and washed up on shore, around it was a large flock of buzzards feeding. I had a camera and as the bike roared up on them I was to take a pix. The birds being surprised took to the air dropping rotting meat and droppings all over us. NOT A SMART MOVE!!
Oh, what an experience, Greenwood! *shudder, gag*
Ditto to the vulture problem here - The town next to us, Granville, has a real problem with vultures. They don't normally winter in our area, but they have an ideal spot up on the big hill there. It's a perfect spot for soaring on the thermals, and there is a highway at its base, providing year-round carrion!
The campus named Denison's bar/lounge "The Roost".
This message was edited Tuesday, Jan 7th 1:11 PM
Buzzards don't have the same plumbing as we do. They regurgitate when they are done. Probably more info than you wanted to know, but if you want more visit. http://www.fsbcanisteo.com/turkey_buzzard_page.htm They are a common site around my home, as I am at the base of some nice windy foothills.
