5 replies to this topic

[bpangie]

Two questions here. I'm in Vermont, and I was driving the other day, and there was a vulture that seemed pretty disoriented. Walking along the side of the road. Walking in the middle of the road with cars stopping and honking at it. Before I got to the bird I figured it was just a Turkey Vulture, but it's head was all black. It also looked like it's head was covered in warty growths. I've never seen a Vulture up close like this before - five feet or so - and was wondering if there was some sort of disease that would cause a T.Vulture to look like a B.Vulture - after all I'm in Vermont and B.Vultures don't usually make it up this far...

Second question: Wood Thrush or Brown Thrasher

On a run I saw a pretty light rufous colored bird jumping/flying low on the ground along the hedge row of a cemetery under a feeder. I got closer and watched it fly up into an apple tree. The tail seemed long to me, but I didn't notice it's eyes. It also seemed as larger if not larger than a robin which leads me to believe it's a Thrasher, but again being in Vermont and in a semi-suburban area, a Thrasher seemed out of the question. While in the Apple tree, it also went after a robin perched in another branch and flew after it.

Any thoughts about this?

Thanks,

Ben
Windsor, VT

[BarnSwallow]

I've heard that black vultures have been expanding their range, and my Sibley's guide, which is a little old, has their range right near VT, so it's a definite possibility. Black vultures do have warty-looking heads. Juvenile turkey vultures have black heads, but there shouldn't be any this time of year.

VT is well within brown thrasher's range, and it does sound like what you saw.,

[MWM]

Two possiblities on the vulture, it could be an immature turkey vulture (they have black/dark brown heads), or it could be a black vulture. We have been getting more of them in upstate NY so Vermont isn't unlikely. Here's a pic of a black vulture I took last month in FL, note the "warty" skin.

[Desertthorn]

Only a mother or a birder could love a face like that. LOL

[bpangie]

Yeah, think it was the Black Vulture. Any ideas as to why they're moving North?

[Sparky the Cuttlefish]

Yeah, think it was the Black Vulture. Any ideas as to why they're moving North?

Neil J. Buckley writes: "Causes of range expansion poorly understood, but increased food availability and recovery from pesticide-induced declines proposed as possible factors".