Expert: Roger Lederer - 1/28/2009

Question
Hello,

I live in Florida and have recently had some strange experiences with the above mentioned birds.

The first strange instance happened at a state park.  My husband and our children pulled up to a deserted spot in the park to discover a group of buzzards (not sure what type) sitting on a few benches.  There were at least 20.  When we stopped the car, we didn't get out the car immediately we just watched them.  Slowly one by one they began to spread there wings and stayed in the same spot.  As we pulled off, they slowly started to put there wings down and continue to wait like they were waiting on something.

The next instance happened in our backyard.  They began circling around in the air and started to land on the fence and the roof.  My husband tried to scare them away but they continued to sit there like they are waiting for something.

Any theories on this would be appreciated.

Answer
These are either Black Vultures (with a black head)or Turkey Vultures (with a red head). What you observed was absolutely typical behavior. They flock together in the winter and often stop to dry out their wings - they accumulate moisture under their wings and drying them out keeps the feathers in better condition and helps to get rid of parasites like feather mites or lice. There is no reason to scare them away. In fact, it is illegal (federal law) to harass any bird. Vultures perform the important role of eating carrion, thereby cleaning up the environment by recycling dead animals. They are perfectly harmless - they do not eat live animals, do not attack humans, and do not carry diseases. Admittedly, they are not particularly attractive, but they are valuable birds.