Abingdon
Police Department
For Immediate
Release
Around
this time of year, Abingdon sees an increase in the number of vultures due to
weather patterns. The Abingdon Police Department has compiled some frequently
asked questions in regards to the dispersal of the vultures and how to keep
them from roosting on your property.
Vulture Dispersal FAQ
Vultures
serve an important function in our environment. Without vultures our yards and
roads would be littered with rotting, stinking, animal carcasses. Occasionally,
vultures select roosting locations that cause property damage. Effective
dispersal of vultures from these roosts can benefit both residents and vultures
in the long term.
What can I do to discourage vultures
from roosting in my yard?
There
are several things you can do to make your yard less attractive as a roosting
place for vultures:
·
Ensure
that you are not inadvertently attracting the vultures. Common attractions include
open containers of pet food, uncovered garbage cans, and pet food bowls.
·
Remove
any dead trees that make convenient perches for vultures.
·
Use
humane perch deterrents, like motion-activated sprinklers or lights.
Where can I find more information about
vultures?
The Cornell
Lab of Ornithology website has excellent information about both species of
vulture, including conservation information:
How
can I tell the difference between a Turkey Vulture and a Black Vulture?
Turkey
Vultures are larger, weighing about 4-5 pounds, with a wingspan of 6 feet. The Turkey
Vulture’s most distinctive feature is its bright red, featherless head. In
flight, a Turkey Vulture often appears to be “wobbling” and, from underneath,
all of the flight feathers are light colored. Black Vultures are smaller,
weighing less than 4 pounds, with a wingspan of 5 feet or less. The Black
Vulture’s head is grey and featherless, but larger in proportion than the
Turkey Vultures. Viewed in flight, only the outer flight feathers of the Black
Vulture are white.
Vultures
are carrion eaters. They eat animals that are already dead, preferring animals
that have been dead for two to four days. However, there have been occasional
reports of Black Vultures preying upon small, live, relatively defenseless
animals. There are no accounts of Turkey Vultures preying upon live animals.
Won’t the vultures naturally leave on
their own?
Turkey
Vultures and Black Vultures are migratory birds. However, as their populations
increase, their range has increased as well. We typically see both species in
the Abingdon area year-round. Because of our location, we see their numbers
increase from November through early February as they follow the
weather patterns. In colder periods, they move farther south, in warmer
periods, farther north. Our climate
makes for a good wintering location. As it gets warmer, non-resident flocks
tend to move farther north.
Vultures aren’t new to this area. What
has changed?
Vultures
are highly adaptive creatures. Unlike some types of wildlife that shy away from
human contact, vultures have adapted to the human environment – perhaps a bit
too well. Their behavior can be destructive. They have been known to tear
window and roof caulking, vent seals, shingles, rubber seals on car
windshields, windshield wipers and other soft, rubbery materials. Their
excrement is acidic and may damage painted surfaces and landscaping. The birds
also regurgitate a smelly, acidic vomit.
It is possible that as stands of trees in backyards and parks have matured, the
birds have become more attracted to these areas for their nightly roosting.
When the birds congregate in large numbers (we have seen groups of more than
100 birds) in backyards, the result is that homeowners experience property
damage and have concerns about the accumulations of excrement and vomit.
What
is the Town doing to address the vulture issue?
With
consent of the property owner, the police department can disturb the roost in
the evening hours as the birds prepare to settle for the night. This is accomplished through pyrotechnic
noise makers. However, roost time
usually coincides with the busiest times of the day for the police, commuter
hours. Our priority is public safety and traffic. Because of this, we often are unable to keep
the regular schedule necessary to convince the birds to change roosts. The
pyrotechnics also create a fire hazard, so we will not deploy during extremely
dry periods, windy conditions, or when a burn ban is in effect.
Nothing
prohibits a private land owner from contacting a professional wildlife
specialist to disturb the roosts at owner expense. This is often the most efficient method.
Will
the Town kill any vultures?
No.
The pyrotechnics used to disturb them at roost time are annoying to the birds.
As a result, they will try to move to another roosting location.
Can I use
fireworks to disturb the birds?
No. Section 27-94 of the Virginia code (Statewide
Fire Prevention Code Act) prohibits consumer use of fireworks. As used in the
code "Fireworks" means "any firecracker, torpedo, skyrocket, or
other substance or object, of whatever form or construction, that contains any
explosive or inflammable compound or substance, and is intended, or commonly
known as fireworks, and which explodes, rises into the air or travels
laterally, or fires projectiles into the air."
I have lots of vultures roosting in my
backyard. Can I pay an exterminator to kill or trap the birds?
Vultures
are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The birds, their nests and eggs
cannot be killed or destroyed without a permit from the U.S. Department of the
Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service.
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