VULTURES!

di and bob

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Thank you L LilReindeer , for a very informative and enlightening post on vultures! The post you were responding to was from 2017 though and I don't know if the person is still around, I hope they got rid of their problem! I have had vultures around and though they have never bothered the cats, I have had several kittens disappear from what I am sure was a great horned owl, judging by the hoots at night. One night my husband and I were outside and got divebombed by one that had a wingspan of 6 feet! It was HUGE, whatever it was. we thought it was a plane, except it was so silent.....
 

Kflowers

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I appreciate the post L LilReindeer . I never stopped to think that there might be more than one sort of vulture. But it certainly explains why some would think them harmless and others would know they weren't. I do know when they take a mind to move they fly across the roads at windshield height without a second thought, so I'm always looking in the fields to the sides to see if they are waiting to take off.
 

klunick

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I appreciate the post L LilReindeer . I never stopped to think that there might be more than one sort of vulture. But it certainly explains why some would think them harmless and others would know they weren't. I do know when they take a mind to move they fly across the roads at windshield height without a second thought, so I'm always looking in the fields to the sides to see if they are waiting to take off.
Unless they've just eaten and are so full that all they can do is wobble to the side of the road while you wait for them so you can drive past. :lol:
 

LilReindeer

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Hi. Its been awhile. I now only have 5 ferals left after staring with about 19. Its been tough.

AS of today, I'm dealing with vultures. They have been around in the morning and usually fly off. Today they stuck around even coming over to the food while cats were eating.

IM very concerned for all our safety.

Is there something I can do to keep them away? Are the cats safe. they are not timid at all. I just went back out an hour after feeding and there are more!!! They wont leave and i have to make sure the cats ate. I do have 3 big containers that they use for shelter. I put food in them and placed in the direction of the woods.. but dont want to cause a danger if teh birds go into the cans as well. They have a big yard surrounded by woods - not sure if the birds will go into the woods are not.

I feed in the morning and around dusk. In summer I have seagulls that i have to feed around and Raccoons. I just cant deal with another annoying species.

please help.

THANK YOU
First thing is to change your feeding times. Dawn and dusk just happen to be the same times that Black Vultures (must've been hard to think up THAT name...LOL) also eat...well, mostly, that is.
Although vultures are technically carrion eaters, the Black ones have been known to be rather aggressive compared to their cousins, the Turkey Vultures most of us have seen in real life or on TV. Some farmers in the US are granted permits to kill them (usually by shooting them) if they show that they're a threat to their livestock, therefore their livelihood.
And, in fact, they have been shown to attack small animals, even young cows. Now that's as close to being a predator as you can get, and it's definitely too close for my liking!
I had the same thing happen to me a couple of years ago. I tried chasing them, throwing things (rocks and whatever) at them, but they had absolutely no fear of humans, certainly not me. So I read about them and it seems that, most often, they're just passing through, looking for something to eat.
If they don't find the area to be advantageous, they'll usually move on. They recently--as of about 2016 or so-- have been seen as far north as New York. Some scientists and bird folks think it may be due to climate change or just the unusually mild winters the northeast has experienced the past few years. Others remain undecided.
Whatever, there's really nothing you can actively do to scare them off. Even scarecrows or effigies of dead Black Vultures fastened to poles or trees only work for a short time. These birds are actually pretty intelligent and figure it out quickly.
Try feeding before, or after, those critical times of day that correspond to the vultures' feeding times. Eventually, when they see there's nothing there for them, they'll move on. (There IS nothing there for them, right?) By the way, get rid of the buckets or barrels of cat food for a while. Or if that's difficult, at least cover them securely. If the birds can get to the cat food there's no reason for them to go. Would YOU walk away from a free buffet?!
Your kitties should be okay for now. Cats, as you know, are very fast. There aren't too many other animals that can catch them and, as long as they have shelters, they should be safe from the beasts.
I would be concerned about kittens or older cats, especially if they're ability to run or move quickly is hampered. But, other than setting up a camp site and watching 24/7 there isn't much you can do. If you get rid of access to the food and feed when they aren't around, this should pass relatively quickly. Let's hope for the best. And give us a follow up in a few weeks to let us know what happens. It could help someone else with the same problem. Whether it works or not is equally helpful to know.
Hope it works out well. Have a good day.
 

LilReindeer

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Thank you L LilReindeer , for a very informative and enlightening post on vultures! The post you were responding to was from 2017 though and I don't know if the person is still around, I hope they got rid of their problem! I have had vultures around and though they have never bothered the cats, I have had several kittens disappear from what I am sure was a great horned owl, judging by the hoots at night. One night my husband and I were outside and got divebombed by one that had a wingspan of 6 feet! It was HUGE, whatever it was. we thought it was a plane, except it was so silent.....
I also answered that post. I noticed the date right after I began and was going to stop. But then I thought if someone had that problem a few years ago, someone else is probably having the same one now, so I kept typing and posted it anyway. You never know....
 

LilReindeer

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First thing is to change your feeding times. Dawn and dusk just happen to be the same times that Black Vultures (must've been hard to think up THAT name...LOL) also eat...well, mostly, that is.
Although vultures are technically carrion eaters, the Black ones have been known to be rather aggressive compared to their cousins, the Turkey Vultures most of us have seen in real life or on TV. Some farmers in the US are granted permits to kill them (usually by shooting them) if they show that they're a threat to their livestock, therefore their livelihood.
And, in fact, they have been shown to attack small animals, even young cows. Now that's as close to being a predator as you can get, and it's definitely too close for my liking!
I had the same thing happen to me a couple of years ago. I tried chasing them, throwing things (rocks and whatever) at them, but they had absolutely no fear of humans, certainly not me. So I read about them and it seems that, most often, they're just passing through, looking for something to eat.
If they don't find the area to be advantageous, they'll usually move on. They recently--as of about 2016 or so-- have been seen as far north as New York. Some scientists and bird folks think it may be due to climate change or just the unusually mild winters the northeast has experienced the past few years. Others remain undecided.
Whatever, there's really nothing you can actively do to scare them off. Even scarecrows or effigies of dead Black Vultures fastened to poles or trees only work for a short time. These birds are actually pretty intelligent and figure it out quickly.
Try feeding before, or after, those critical times of day that correspond to the vultures' feeding times. Eventually, when they see there's nothing there for them, they'll move on. (There IS nothing there for them, right?) By the way, get rid of the buckets or barrels of cat food for a while. Or if that's difficult, at least cover them securely. If the birds can get to the cat food there's no reason for them to go. Would YOU walk away from a free buffet?!
Your kitties should be okay for now. Cats, as you know, are very fast. There aren't too many other animals that can catch them and, as long as they have shelters, they should be safe from the beasts.
I would be concerned about kittens or older cats, especially if they're ability to run or move quickly is hampered. But, other than setting up a camp site and watching 24/7 there isn't much you can do. If you get rid of access to the food and feed when they aren't around, this should pass relatively quickly. Let's hope for the best. And give us a follow up in a few weeks to let us know what happens. It could help someone else with the same problem. Whether it works or not is equally helpful to know.
Hope it works out well. Have a good day.
Hi! It's me again. I just noticed that you said you put food "in" the shelters, is that right? That's not a good idea. Although I completely understand your thinking here, there's other things to consider.
Food in shelters creates an insect friendly environment. Many of those bugs also bite the cats. And if there's water in there too, and it spills, the cats will get wet and in cold weather that can lead to pneumonia.
Last, but not least by any means, food brings predators. I know the reason you placed the food in there was because of predators, but that food will lure in a whole bunch of them.
Whether you see them or not, you most likely have raccoons--they LOVE cat food--and possums (or opossums, if you prefer), and foxes. Of all, the foxes are the most common and the ones most likely to prey on kittens.
Most folks, myself included, don't realize how many foxes are out there. I recently saw a show that claimed they are THE MOST prevalent prey species out there (in the US)! I was pretty surprised since I've only seen three of them in my sixty-plus years on planet Earth.
What's better is to make/build a feeding station or two, depending on how many cats are present at the moment. For instructions and ideas, visit AlleyCat.org on the web. They have a lot of info on a lot of topics, all cat! And they're currently the largest worldwide cat and TNR welfare organization. They've even gone up against major companies, organizations and political figures.
They were founded and still run by Becky Robinson. They've put TNR on the mainstream map and have no fear. They've done so much to bring stray and feral cats to the average person's awareness, the same animals that no one noticed before. I don't know what state you live in but there's probably a local Alley Cat organization or affiliate near you. Their website always has new and up to date info on so many cat topics. Plus they can put you in touch with like minded people in your area. Anyway...
Hope all works out for you and the cats (yeah, and even the vultures). Have a good day!
 

LilReindeer

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Vultures are unable to kill anything large/healthy enough to fight back, and are not inclined to fight at all---they lack strength in their beak and claws. They are only scavengers, not hunters. They probably like the leftover cat food :D. If it's turkey vultures, they usually use a roosting place for a couple months and then move on. So hopefully it will be a short-lived annoyance.

You can call your local wildlife management people to ask what you can do legally to discourage them. Perhpas a radio playing loudly will work.
That might be true--I've read the same--about Turkey vultures, but the Black Vulture is a bird of a different color....
They've been seen attacking animals larger than themselves. They do this by working together in large groups--sounds like airborne wolves! They've even attacked and killed animals as large as young cows and goats. Farmers are even granted special permits to shoot them if they can show they pose a threat to their livestock (and livelihood).
NOTE: This is in the US, for anyone wondering. I don't know about any other countries.
 

LilReindeer

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First thing is to change your feeding times. Dawn and dusk just happen to be the same times that Black Vultures (must've been hard to think up THAT name...LOL) also eat...well, mostly, that is.
Although vultures are technically carrion eaters, the Black ones have been known to be rather aggressive compared to their cousins, the Turkey Vultures most of us have seen in real life or on TV. Some farmers in the US are granted permits to kill them (usually by shooting them) if they show that they're a threat to their livestock, therefore their livelihood.
And, in fact, they have been shown to attack small animals, even young cows. Now that's as close to being a predator as you can get, and it's definitely too close for my liking!
I had the same thing happen to me a couple of years ago. I tried chasing them, throwing things (rocks and whatever) at them, but they had absolutely no fear of humans, certainly not me. So I read about them and it seems that, most often, they're just passing through, looking for something to eat.
If they don't find the area to be advantageous, they'll usually move on. They recently--as of about 2016 or so-- have been seen as far north as New York. Some scientists and bird folks think it may be due to climate change or just the unusually mild winters the northeast has experienced the past few years. Others remain undecided.
Whatever, there's really nothing you can actively do to scare them off. Even scarecrows or effigies of dead Black Vultures fastened to poles or trees only work for a short time. These birds are actually pretty intelligent and figure it out quickly.
Try feeding before, or after, those critical times of day that correspond to the vultures' feeding times. Eventually, when they see there's nothing there for them, they'll move on. (There IS nothing there for them, right?) By the way, get rid of the buckets or barrels of cat food for a while. Or if that's difficult, at least cover them securely. If the birds can get to the cat food there's no reason for them to go. Would YOU walk away from a free buffet?!
Your kitties should be okay for now. Cats, as you know, are very fast. There aren't too many other animals that can catch them and, as long as they have shelters, they should be safe from the beasts.
I would be concerned about kittens or older cats, especially if they're ability to run or move quickly is hampered. But, other than setting up a camp site and watching 24/7 there isn't much you can do. If you get rid of access to the food and feed when they aren't around, this should pass relatively quickly. Let's hope for the best. And give us a follow up in a few weeks to let us know what happens. It could help someone else with the same problem. Whether it works or not is equally helpful to know.
Hope it works out well. Have a good day.
Hi! It's me again. I just noticed that you said you put food "in" the shelters, is that right? That's not a good idea. Although I completely understand your thinking here, there's other things to consider.
Food in shelters creates an insect friendly environment. Many of those bugs also bite the cats. And if there's water in there too, and it spills, the cats will get wet and in cold weather that can lead to pneumonia.
Last, but not least by any means, food brings predators. I know the reason you placed the food in there was because of predators, but that food will lure in a whole bunch of them.
Whether you see them or not, you most likely have raccoons--they LOVE cat food--and possums (or opossums, if you prefer), and foxes. Of all, the foxes are the most common and the ones most likely to prey on kittens.
Most folks, myself included, don't realize how many foxes are out there. I recently saw a show that claimed they are THE MOST prevalent prey species out there (in the US)! I was pretty surprised since I've only seen three of them in my sixty-plus years on planet Earth.
What's better is to make/build a feeding station or two, depending on how many cats are present at the moment. For instructions and ideas, visit AlleyCatAllies.org on the web. They have a lot of info on a lot of topics, all cat! And they're currently the largest worldwide cat and TNR welfare organization. They've even gone up against major companies, organizations and political figures.
They were founded and still run by Becky Robinson have no fear and they've done lots of great things for cats, and animals in general. I don't know what state you live in but there's probably a local Alley Cat organization or affiliate near you.
 
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