Will These Guys Hurt My Babies?

[AnaD]

I have seen birds like that, but mostly I think they just like to sit around looking ominous.

 

[heritagebirds]

Here is what I've read about the vultures in the Northeast & mid-Atlantic US:

Turkey vultures(with the red heads) are said to eat only carrion(dead creatures) and are easily scared off.

Black vultures(with black heads) are more aggressive and destructive. Once they choose a place to roost, they are hard to get rid of. They have been said to injure newborn animals, as well as their mothers, though I haven't seen this myself. They tore a hole in a toy that I have out in the pasture for my colt.

I had a bad problem with them last year, they would bathe in my horse's troughs, making the water so disgusting that they wouldn't drink. I also didn't like how close they would get to my colt and my old mare. They don't like getting sprayed with water, getting chased, or loud noises. I hope that they leave your birds alone.

 

[flgardengirl]

Thank you for the responses. I like the whatbird.com link. So I am guessing that these are black vultures? I remember seeing Turkey Vultures in Louisiana with the red heads. I haven't seen the Turkey Vultures here in NE FL yet but haven't lived here but 3 yrs.
I will surely be watching these. I have a feeling these are mating or nesting in some trees behind our property. I have seen many back there flying around a certain huge tree. There was nothing dead in it that I could see or smell. They have been back there for a week. There are tons of squirrels in the trees that attract hawks so there could be dead ones around too but I have a feeling the vultures are nesting or mating or something.

dewey: That's a funny story about your sunbathing.

It seems like whenever dh smokes beef brisket, vultures will come around circling. I told dh, "Now what does that say about your brisket?" LOL!
Actually, he makes the best brisket but its still pretty funny.

 

[mominoz]

I think I read here....someone who told a story of living out west and one day watching a group of vultures ,alternately chase a hare in circles until it collapsed and then they feasted. He said it was before video cameras, and said there were other oldtimers who said they will go after live if they are hungry enough.....
I watch a group or 25 or so that sometimes work their way up the valley I live in , slowly circling...sometimes they are over my arena and once when I had my goslings outside they came 'really low' the babies came and tried to get under me. I actually stood up and flapped at he vultures because they were too close for comfort. I think they 'smell" my duck pens, because daily I have one fly just over the treetops over the duck pen.....

 

[Whimsy]

I have witnessed the black Vultures kill and disembowel a young calf, before we could get to them. We did save another the same day the vultures only picked it's eye out. We have a roost on high tension lines a field away from ours. When the wind is right the stench is awful. In calving season all the neighbors go on calf watch for the vultures, they are disgusting.

Back to the OP, no I don't think they would kill an adult chicken.

 

[Minniechickmama]

It really has to stink being born that ugly and everyone's first thought upon seeing you is, "They are SO ugly!" It reminds me of the buzzards in the Disney's Jungle Book.

 

[ColbyNTX]

Quote:

It is rare but the blacks are more aggressive.

 

[darkmatter]

http://cheezburger.com/View/3057568512

 

[Pinky]

 

[BrattishTaz]

I'm not sure what part of Florida you are in but the Tampa area has both Turkey and Black vultures. The Black vultures and the hawks seem to get along just fine here. They have been terrorizing my chickens for a year now. The research I did stated that Black vultures WILL kill their prey. I have not been able to positively identify the birds responsible for killing one rooster and carrying the other away (I got him back alive.). I did see they were very large black birds and have even seen them corner a small dog in my yard. I need a better camera to get pics of their faces. I'm wondering if overpopulation and limited carrion is forcing them to go for live prey here.