7 replies to this topic

[Jimbo]

Hi!  Last night at dusk we spotted a huge amount of Turkey Vultures in the sky, flying, dipping through the trees, back and forth.  Probably better than 50 of them, though it was certainly hard to tell.  It was an amazing sight.  I don't know  much about these birds, and usually I am not looking outside at this time so I have no idea if they've done this before, or if this is a normal thing or an anomaly.   Sorry if this is the wrong forum to use, but I couldn't find one that fit better than allowed a post.  Anyway, I'd love to know thoughts from someone who knows.  Thank you!  Marlene

[illin]

Turkey Vultures roost together and your birds were likely getting ready to land for the night. Sometimes these roosts are huge. There is one near my house that they use quite often where I have counted over 100 perched in the trees. Pretty cool sight.

[Jimbo]

I have no idea where they were planning to land, but it wasn't in the tall trees right behind my house, though it could easily have been behind that.  Lots trees back there.  I hope they do it again when I am camera ready!  Thanks so much for your reply, makes sense. 

[spookyjimjams]

I have seen Turkey Vultures do this too in CA.  Around dusk my idea is also that they are getting ready to bed down for the night, but it is possible they were circling something very large and very dead.  They will roost in low trees and bushes too, not just tall trees.  I have found nests less than 10 feet off the ground.  The vultures here where I work tend to roost in a bush about 12 feet high and thick as well as some tall pines and eucalyptus trees nearby.

[illin]

After I read this thread the other day I went out to a local roost and got these pics. There was probably as many out of frame flying as there were in frame, and then there were about as many as were flying that were already in the roost trees. All together I estimated about 100.

 
2012-02-28 Turkey Vultures- Pana Lake (22) by Laramore, on Flickr

[illin]

2012-02-28 Turkey Vultures- Pana Lake (12) by Laramore, on Flickr

[Sinuous]

If you've ever been to Anaheim, CA, you'll know there's a ton of turkey vultures there!

I was at a hospital over there on one of the higher floors, so if I looked out the window I had a view of the whole landscape. You can see in the distance a bunch of turkey vultures soaring and circling over the fields. I remember being super ecstatic when one flew right up along the window I was looking out! It was so close in fact, I could see right through its nostrils!

To this day, I wish I could've taken a picture, but unfortunately, it flew out of view within 3-5 seconds.

[meghann]

One day, in the middle of the day, my kids were playing in the middle of our cul-de-sac, running around in circles. I looked up, and 25-30 turkey vultures were overhead, circling the kids. That was a bit disconcerting.