The Birds Are Back In Town
(photo by Alyssa Richardson)
The suburbs of Warsaw share a striking resemblance to Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” this week as swarms of turkey vultures (also known as turkey buzzards) overtake the skies and trees.
After receiving a photo from local reader Sheri Krichbaum, I ventured out in search of these massive birds and found a large group perched in a pine tree near Warsaw Community High School.
Discovery of the birds’ perch proved rather difficult initially as the vultures had been spotted in numerous locations near the school. After spotting one, lone vulture soaring through the sky, I took off in pursuit, hoping to locate its kin.
The birds, which were hiding high in a pine tree, were more enormous close up than I had expected. However, despite the large size of the vultures, they proved to be extremely camera shy, fleeing into the sky whenever I raised the lens for a shot. Though I left the scene with several photos and even some video footage, my curiosity far outweighed the boon of what I’d gained.
After researching National Geographic’s animal archives, I discovered that the turkey vulture is the most widespread vulture in North America. The vulture has a body length of 24 inches to 25 inches, a wingspan of 5 feet to 6 feet, and weighs 3 to 5 pounds.
A reader provided this picture of the birds perched near her home on Gable Street. (photo provided by Sheri Krichbaum)
Overall, the turkey vulture is black with brownish tones, especially on the feather edges. It is characterized by the red skin color of the head which contrasts with the ivory bill as well as the massive size of the bird. As the name would imply, when standing, the bird shares a major resemblance to a common turkey.
The bird is unique among vultures as it finds carrion by smell as well as by sight. When threatened, the birds begin hissing and will defend themselves by vomiting powerful stomach acids. With the warmer climate in North America and an increase in road-killed animals, turkey vultures have extended their range northward.
Seeking still more information on these ghastly visitors, I contacted Grace College Environmental Science Professor Dr. Nate Bosch. He stated turkey vultures are quite common throughout the area in early March as part of their migration pattern for mating.
According to Bosch, the early appearance of the vultures is likely due to the warmer winter weather experienced this year. The birds can be expected in the area throughout the spring and summer seasons. When asked about the turkey vultures ability to regurgitate stomach acids when threatened, Bosch stated the acids would be very low in toxicity and ultimately not dangerous to humans.
For more information on Turkey Vultures click HERE.
