![]() Many people view vultures as repulsive at best and bad omens at worst. But I’m not the only one that can’t help thinking vultures are some harbinger of death, says Alex Wehrung, an educator and spokesperson for the Wildlife Center of Virginia. I felt guilty for that unnerving feeling that circling vultures brought to my stomach. They often leapfrog their residential counterparts in warmer stretches of the U.S., leaving the best sanitizing duties to the locals as they ride thermal waves to warmer places. Vultures soar and circle even when they’re migrating. and one of only seven in the western hemisphere – making their way from breeding grounds near the Canadian border to their wintering area as far south as Central or South America. ![]() What I noticed were turkey vultures – one of three vulture species in the U.S. There was likely no hidden carcass.Īnd if something was dead, little is better for natural cleanup than a swirling kettle of vultures. But I couldn’t help that gut feeling: What died, or what is going to die, making them circle like that? They rarely landed, at least not that I could see. ![]() In the sky, circling above big cottonwood trees and barely moving their wings, were dozens and dozens of vultures. The loss of the vulture population caused a terrible stench and an increase in rabies and other diseases.A few years ago, I moved to the center of a mid-sized western town and started spending more time than I should staring out the window.An antibiotic drug used on livestock created the major decline of vultures in India.Vultures have bald heads and necks to prevent bacteria from getting caught in their feathers.Now that the drug has been banned for use on livestock, Indian vultures are getting back to the important job at hand. Rabies and other diseases became a major problem due to an increase in rats and wild dogs. Without the vultures to remove the sick and dead animals, the stench of carcasses became unbearable. The missing birds of prey did not go unnoticed, however. An antibiotic drug given to cattle and other livestock caused the near extinction in India. In India, vulture species have declined by up to 99% in recent years. The service vultures provide is often taken for granted. Their bare heads and necks prevent bacteria from getting buried in their feathers. These scavengers feed on fresh meat and rotting carcasses. Vultures are often considered ugly and smelly. What other animals have a bad reputation due to their odd appearance or behaviour? How did the loss of the vulture population affect humans?ĭiscussion Questions: The English expression “don’t judge a book by its cover” applies to animals such as vultures.What caused the major decline of vultures in India?.Why do vultures have bald heads and necks?.Now that the drug has been banned for use on livestock, Indian vultures are the important job at hand. The missing birds of prey did not go, however. An antibiotic drug given to cattle and other caused the near extinction in India. Their bare heads and necks prevent bacteria from getting their feathers. ![]() Vultures Aren’t Just Ugly Birds Vultures are often ugly and smelly. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS | More Podcast: Play in new window | Download (626.0KB)
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