Darn buzzards

[PrepH4U]

UPDATE -
Today we have another egg! So Catt how are you at fostering buzzards? You have about 30-40 days to do your research and get ready for the cutie Of course you will have to be feeding it here as it would be against the law to move them

 

[CountryLady]

UPDATE -
Today we have another egg! So Catt how are you at fostering buzzards? You have about 30-40 days to do your research and get ready for the cutie Of course you will have to be feeding it here as it would be against the law to move them

oh my lord!!!

 

[Katelin]

Sorry Prep I had to laugh when I read this....I say let them stay...watch the baby grow up....


Tell me... told me that a buzzard does not have an ahole... they throw up all their stuff...is this true? Thanking you can take a close look for me..

They have an anus and they throw up as a defence and if they feel threatened, and cant fly due to a full gut, they will throw it back up to lighten thier load and fly off.

 

[Katelin]

You have a family of black headed vultures...babies look like a big ball of white fuzz...a few weeks after birth...
They are protected by several federal laws so be kind...
They eat only dead stuff....thus the bald head...they can sense the gas given off of dead animals...and all come in to eat..ie; road kill...all those hit by car critters...

(We..Calvert County Animal Control and I, did rescue a juvenile vulture that got into a kitchen and tried to make off with the roast of beef the homeowner set out to cool...no kidding..have the pics to prove it!! hahah..)

Babies imprint very easily on people..be very careful not to interact with hatchlings!
Parents eat food and bring it back up for babies to eat.
Vultures will not eat your cats...but might steal the dead mice they caught...
Dead is dead and it is all yummy to a vulture.

Vultures, along with opossums and a few other birds and animals, keep the world clean of dead, rotting animals.

Enjoy from a distance, get your videos and photos and watch nature do what she does best!

Congratulations on your new vulture family!

 

[PrepH4U]

You have a family of black headed vultures...babies look like a big ball of white fuzz...a few weeks after birth...
They are protected by several federal laws so be kind...
They eat only dead stuff....thus the bald head...they can sense the gas given off of dead animals...and all come in to eat..ie; road kill...all those hit by car critters...

(We..Calvert County Animal Control and I, did rescue a juvenile vulture that got into a kitchen and tried to make off with the roast of beef the homeowner set out to cool...no kidding..have the pics to prove it!! hahah..)

Babies imprint very easily on people..be very careful not to interact with hatchlings!
Parents eat food and bring it back up for babies to eat.
Vultures will not eat your cats...but might steal the dead mice they caught...
Dead is dead and it is all yummy to a vulture.

Vultures, along with opossums and a few other birds and animals, keep the world clean of dead, rotting animals.

Enjoy from a distance, get your videos and photos and watch nature do what she does best!

Congratulations on your new vulture family!

Thanks for all the info, you provieded a few tidbits of info that I had not found yet.
I have seen the pics of the babies and they do look a lot cuter young than the adult version. If buzzards can be cute, the black vulture is perhaps the prettiest. They have become very aware & used to us bothering them as that is where we feed the cats and get the horse supplies daily. We just make some noise going out there before opening the door that way no one is suprised!
Oh the Mom & Dad have become quite fond of cat food also! As have caught them eating it right along with the cats! I realize they are protected but I will not change my daily habbits for them and I think they realize that!

 

[Independence]

I am just COMPLETELY FACINATED!!

 

[CountryLady]

WEB CAM INSTALLED YET!

 

[PrepH4U]

WEB CAM INSTALLED YET!

Nope not yet. I think I will just charge for a guided tour instead of releasing the video for free!

 

[cattitude]

Nope not yet. I think I will just charge for a guided tour instead of releasing the video for free!

Forgive me if you already said...but how did they get in there in the first place?

 

[PrepH4U]

Forgive me if you already said...but how did they get in there in the first place?

There is a 2 ft gap in between my tack/hay room & the horse run in area.
They must have been exploring the area when the top half of our door was open and they figured out how to get in there all on their own when the door is kept closed.
When they are not nesting they are hanging out with the horses in the run in.

 

[cattitude]

There is a 2 ft gap in between my tack/hay room & the horse run in area.
They must have been exploring the area when the top half of our door was open and they figured out how to get in there all on their own when the door is kept closed.
When they are not nesting they are hanging out with the horses in the run in.

Ah...I remember reading that but missed the "gap" thing and then I was picturing them wandering in and out the cat door.

 

[ladyhawk]

In spite of trying to keep they away from our pasture and paddock area. It seems that I was not forceful enough. A pair has been hanging around with the horses. We have found them in the tack/hay area sleeping next to the barn cats, which startled them and us! One just hopped out and the other flew up to the locker and jumped over the wall gap into the horse run in.
They are not afraid of us and just hop out of our way! This morning while feeding the horses we found a neat little suprise! They have laid an egg! We kept on eye on them all day while working in the garden. (they sat and watched us) We would go in and check and they had turned/moved the egg to 3 different spots in the same general area.
I am torn should I remove the egg or just watch nature take its course? :shrug: After researching, we are looking at a total of 11 weeks for hatching and then feeding. I am afraid that they will start to attack my cats.
What do you all think?

I could be wrong but I think buzzards only go after dead animals....
I've never seen them kill anything and what I've seen them with has been dead for at least a couple of days (I wonder if the smell acts as an attractant). I've heard that ospreys and eagles go after small dogs and the occassional cat or two...

June

 

[ladyhawk]

I could be wrong but I think buzzards only go after dead animals....
I've never seen them kill anything and what I've seen them with has been dead for at least a couple of days (I wonder if the smell acts as an attractant). I've heard that ospreys and eagles go after small dogs and the occassional cat or two...

June

Sorry, I missed a previous post where someone already confirmed... LOL
Lucky you! I love watching animals though the process of rearing families...
I saw someone mention a webcam.. If you get one up, let us know!

Congrats... (I think)
June

 

[PrepH4U]

I am kinda concerned, the last two days we have only seen one parent sitting on the nest. Not sure if it is the Mom or Dad as both are supposed to take turns. Usually if one was setting, the other was in tack room or hanging with the horses. I hope nothing has happened to either one of them. The missing one better not be out feathering another nest!

 

[frequentflier]

I am kinda concerned, the last two days we have only seen one parent sitting on the nest. Not sure if it is the Mom or Dad as both are supposed to take turns. Usually if one was setting, the other was in tack room or hanging with the horses. I hope nothing has happened to either one of them. The missing one better not be out feathering another nest!

He's probably out screwing around while the ol' lady's home and tending to the young 'uns! That darn buzzard!

 

[Katelin]

Thanks for all the info, you provieded a few tidbits of info that I had not found yet.
I have seen the pics of the babies and they do look a lot cuter young than the adult version. If buzzards can be cute, the black vulture is perhaps the prettiest. They have become very aware & used to us bothering them as that is where we feed the cats and get the horse supplies daily. We just make some noise going out there before opening the door that way no one is suprised!
Oh the Mom & Dad have become quite fond of cat food also! As have caught them eating it right along with the cats! I realize they are protected but I will not change my daily habbits for them and I think they realize that!

Look at the contents of your cat food..a lot of corn/corn by products and meat by products...
To them, they are just eating killed, cooked, critter kibble!!!

Have fun, enjoy, and keep telling your story!! Take care!!!

Katelin
Wildlife Rehabilitator
DNR, MD.

 

[PrepH4U]

He's probably out screwing around while the ol' lady's home and tending to the young 'uns! That darn buzzard!

That's what I am thinking!
That or trying to find a new home cuz we keep bothering them twice a day!
Seriously though they are supposed to stay together as a family until the fall with the hatchlings. The babies cannot feed themselves until they are 11 wks old, that's why I am slightly concerned (poor momma). Another drain on society!
BUT it's not like she would have to go far for food, seeing they have taken a liking to the cat food!
So maybe we will have to go on road kill patrol to help her out!

 

[Loper]

I think this would be pretty cool to watch and see what happens. Ok, so buzzards might not be the fashionable thing... but how cool to see the whole thing through. I have a web cam and could probably rig something up for you, if your barn has power to it.

 

[Katelin]

So maybe we will have to go on road kill patrol to help her out!

Great idea...we collected fresh road kill and tossed it behind an old barn for an injured vulture off Grays Rd in Clavert..

If anyone asks..just tell them you lost your job and cant get food stamps..........................

Hopefully Loper can set up a web cam... then you put up a PayPal link to help support the drain on your cat food supply!!! hehehe......

 

[PrepH4U]

I think this would be pretty cool to watch and see what happens. Ok, so buzzards might not be the fashionable thing... but how cool to see the whole thing through. I have a web cam and could probably rig something up for you, if your barn has power to it.

That is very nice of you to offer I don't have wired power to the shed but, I have long enough outdoor extension cords if needed. Dumb question though - if I did a web cam would it increase my "upload" limit that wildblue imposes on me? They are real dictators when that limit is reached.

Great idea...we collected fresh road kill and tossed it behind an old barn for an injured vulture off Grays Rd in Clavert..

If anyone asks..just tell them you lost your job and cant get food stamps..........................
OMG! That would be too funny!

Hopefully Loper can set up a web cam... then you put up a PayPal link to help support the drain on your cat food supply!!! hehehe......

PayPal? I hadn't thought of that! I don't know if the web cam and my third world internet connection will work. Will research.

Oh the missing partner was back today for a bit, we disturbed them when showing the farrier our new livestock. They sat up on a nearby tree branch to watch us and they were actually cuddling and spooning with each other.
I believe it was the male setting on eggs this morning - I believe he is the one that barks at us. The female hisses at us. OR it's vice versa!
What is really cool about this whole thing is there has not been one other buzzard hanging around trying to roost along the pasture. Do they mark their territory? I have seen them hop after ravens in the paddock area also.