War against Black Vultures (graphic)

For the past three years or so, we have been getting lots pf BVs at Anhinga Trail, which would net be a problem except they like to rip and eat rubber molding off cars :cool:
My Lexus SUV lost the rubber around the sun roof last year :eek: and there are numerous stories amongst the locals, and I guess the rentals too.
The rangers have thought of this strategy to keep the birds from the parking lot and though it seems to be working for the moment, it is very disturbing.
The official word is they get the dead vultures from the dumpster, where they die from natural causes.

This on is hanging from a pole with a warning to vehicles owners and there's another one hanging from the tree at the end of the parking lot.

Once you see this, you'll never forget it.

Will have to see if it works, hated to see the dead bird hanging !! Understand the park had to take action.

Certainly is convenient for the birds to die of natural causes in the dumpster. :cool:

Wouldn't think that the species would have had the time to adapt to this behavior since dumpsters only date back a few decades, but nature is so amazing that it will fill every niche given the chance won't it?

Evolution sometimes works fast ;)

Ripping apart a Lexus! Wow! ;) Even I haven't done it when I was a kid. :D

Why do they rip apart and eat rubber moulding? I don't think lack of food can be the reason. Any scientific reasons for this behaviour?

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sabyasachi Patra

Ripping apart a Lexus! Wow! ;)
Why do they rip apart and eat rubber moulding? I don't think lack of food can be the reason. Any scientific reasons for this behaviour?

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

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I have heard they use some fish oil in making the rubber.
Not confirmed though.

Same thing happens up in the Sierras in California except it is rodents eating rubber hoses and electrical insulation off wires on cars of backpackers that are park for a time at the trailheads.

Because they can't get the hood ornaments off? :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sabyasachi Patra

Why do they rip apart and eat rubber moulding? I don't think lack of food can be the reason. Any scientific reasons for this behaviour?

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

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Because they can't get the hood ornaments off? :)

.... hi Chris ... want to bet :D

If it works then it's great IMHO. :)

Orlando Wetlands Park in east Orange County has the same problem with heavy equipment parked outdoors. Seats, rubber, its all fair game. Your picture reminds me of the practice in Texas of hanging the dearly departed coyotes on fences to keep the live ones away. :( Don't know if that works either, but it likely provides the ranchers with some satisfaction.

unfortunate story, on both end.

Keas (mountain parrots) have a similar behavior around the alpine ski fields in New Zealand, but they seem to do it just for fun "many scientists think they are the most intelligent bird, and even set amazingly challengeing puzzles for them which they seem to work out". The sit on the roof of the car or 4X4 and pull the rubber seal out around sun roofs and then push the glass out of the way. Once they get inside its amazing how much damage they can do to seats, dash boards and if you are silly enough bags within the car. It was reported a few years back that one even managed to set of the airbags by ripping at the steering wheel.

Most of the skifields now have signs warning of these birds and the damage they can do. the locals are aware of the problem but rental cars seem to be a favorite target these days.:D

check out Youtube videos of keas in action, very amusing if you don't own the car

Once you see this, yes, you never forget it.

In our town, there was a vulture roost with an increasing population over the years. It happened to be between two B&Bs and over the sidewalk beside the street. It became a big problem (try walking under the trees once and you will remember!) and various solutions were recommended. They used the same technique of finding a dead vulture (along the road, hit by a car) and hung it up. The vultures left. But the problem is that they then pick another roost. They are now in the trees across the street from a friend's house. That roosting spot is gaining vultures every year. It may require some effort to encourage them to move on in the same way. It's just a way of moving the problem to someone else's yard. The hope is that they can be moved to an area that is not populated or in an area without a lot of people around.

Linda

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fabs Forns

For the past three years or so, we have been getting lots pf BVs at Anhinga Trail, which would net be a problem except they like to rip and eat rubber molding off cars :cool:
My Lexus SUV lost the rubber around the sun roof last year :eek: and there are numerous stories amongst the locals, and I guess the rentals too.
The rangers have thought of this strategy to keep the birds from the parking lot and though it seems to be working for the moment, it is very disturbing.
The official word is they get the dead vultures from the dumpster, where they die from natural causes.

This on is hanging from a pole with a warning to vehicles owners and there's another one hanging from the tree at the end of the parking lot.

Once you see this, you'll never forget it.

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I reckon this from of deterent is barbaric and outdated, not to mention down right stupid! Since when do birds avoid places because there are other dead birds around? And I imagine that carrion eaters like Vultures would be more than put off at the site of dead meat hanging around more than other birds too.
I doubt it would be a very tourist friendly solution, as who would want to visit a place where they hang up the dead rotting carcass of birds?

I was talking to an automotive engineer over the weekend and mentioned this to him and he said probably a certain type of oil in the manufacturing process is causing this behavior

Seeing how Vultures eat carrion that is in various states of decay, this sure seems like a good way to expose people to various germs and bacteria, not to mention the odor and disgusting view that it'll present.

Their way of coming across the dead Vultures is rather suspicious.

Matt

When I was there Thursday morning a young lady from one of the newspapers
was there doing a story on the vultures. It was interesting that after about
five minutes of her talking to some folks one of the cars in the parking lot
was covered with vultures.
Overall I didn't think I saw as many as I had a few months ago, however
that might have been normal, time of year etc. One of the park
maintenance guys told me that the park service put the vultures up
and for about two days it appeared to have an effect but now he
didn't think it was doing any good.

The reason the vultures were away from the parking lot was the dead fish (from the recent freeze) available to eat all aver the ponds. As soon as there's no fish, they went back to the cars.