Commuting - Harrassed on my commute... by birds?

I'm used to angry soccer moms in land freighter SUV's trying to kill me, but this is a new one on me. I found a new road to work that I take on occasion because it is wide, nice pavement, lightly traveled and has some fun ups and downs.

Anyways, I take this road Saturday morning at around 9am, and come around this 90 degree left turn at about 20mph+ when I notice what looks like 6 pheasants in the road ahead. No, no tails and way too big, they must be wild turkeys. I look again and realize yikes--they are turkey VULTURES. For anyone who doesn't know these things have up to a 6ft wingspan and are 2ft long and have a heavy body like a turkey, so they are kinda threatening. Anyways, they all flap up as I approach and take flight, and I realize after a second they are flying WITH me, with some in front and some on my sides. Next thing I know the ones on my sides start systematically diving down until they are about level with my head/shoulders and pulling up, presumably to keep me moving and intimidate me. It worked... I felt like I was in Jurassic Park and a Pterodactyl was attacking me. I kept thinking that the evolutionary leap of dinosaur > bird couldn't be far off, especially when I looked at those carnivorous beaks and two inch long talons. As I approached the next intersection, they all did a 180 and went back towards where I picked them up.

Honestly, even though a little nerve-racking, it was better than the usual GMC Denali driven by some mall tan-orange soccer mom trying to harrass me, and I got to see some relatively rare wildlife (for this area) up close.

LOL!

I've had a bee trying to attack me for a good 1/4 mile before, but not a friggin 6' wide bird!

Quick, get in the phone booth!

From the thread title I was guessing it was going to be about Blackbirds (the ones with the red patches and a little bit of yellow on their upper wings). They seems to be the most aggressive in protecting their nests by swooping down repeatedly at ons head. But Vultures? If that happened to me, I'd freak out. Especially if they just kept circling around me when I rode. I know I'm slow, but not that slow.

There have been days when I looked like road kill on wheels but never drew that kind of response!

Maby its like some of the dogs that chase you, they just want some exersize. . or lunch ;)

Napoleon Dynamite: Do the chickens have large talons?
Farmer: Do they have what?
Napoleon Dynamite: Large talons.
Farmer: I don't understand a word you just said.

I couldn't help myself at the thought of those two inch talons. Sorry. ;)

I'm used to angry soccer moms in land freighter SUV's trying to kill me, but this is a new one on me. I found a new road to work that I take on occasion because it is wide, nice pavement, lightly traveled and has some fun ups and downs.

Anyways, I take this road Saturday morning at around 9am, and come around this 90 degree left turn at about 20mph+ when I notice what looks like 6 pheasants in the road ahead. No, no tails and way too big, they must be wild turkeys. I look again and realize yikes--they are turkey VULTURES. For anyone who doesn't know these things have up to a 6ft wingspan and are 2ft long and have a heavy body like a turkey, so they are kinda threatening. Anyways, they all flap up as I approach and take flight, and I realize after a second they are flying WITH me, with some in front and some on my sides. Next thing I know the ones on my sides start systematically diving down until they are about level with my head/shoulders and pulling up, presumably to keep me moving and intimidate me. It worked... I felt like I was in Jurassic Park and a Pterodactyl was attacking me. I kept thinking that the evolutionary leap of dinosaur > bird couldn't be far off, especially when I looked at those carnivorous beaks and two inch long talons. As I approached the next intersection, they all did a 180 and went back towards where I picked them up.

Honestly, even though a little nerve-racking, it was better than the usual GMC Denali driven by some mall tan-orange soccer mom trying to harrass me, and I got to see some relatively rare wildlife (for this area) up close.


Funny you should mention dinosaurs and birds like that. A radio documentary on the cbc I was listening to the otherday mentioned that the dinosaurs that did not die out after the meteor strike a while back ( :D ) are likely the ancestors of our birds...... they even had feathers (of course, this is hard to call, but this is one of the latest theories mentioned on this program). So go put some road kill in your dinosaur feeder!

Yikes! The worst bird problem I ever have is the Canada Geese not getting out of the way. Those birds aren't afraid of anything it seems.

A flying honor guard - imagine!

I've had mocking birds and bluejays chase me, but never buzzards.

Watch out next time. Occasionally buzzards will get slightly above a threatening animal and vomit. Sort of a carpet-bombing defense strategy, I suppose.

From http://www.blotterrag.com/0903/portnoy0903.htm...


"Turkey buzzards are capable of a sort of projectile vomiting, either on the ground or in flight, that is spread with rapid turns of the head. The bird’s digestive enzymes contribute a unique odor to the rotting meat, making for one of the worst smells I have ever encountered. Additionally, projectiles in the natural world are rare. Anything flung or thrown is at least startling in a showdown, and this tactic is often useful to either confuse and repel an attacker or provide at least a moment of distraction in which the buzzard might take to the wing."

I thought maybe this post had to do with the other end of the bird.

Well, I have to say it's rather odd that TVs would be pursuing something that isn't dead! Usually they like things to be rather ripe before they pull up for a good feed. It does sound like a rather eerie experience though.

Worst birds for swooping down and going after you are the corvids--the family that contains crows and jays. Crows and jays are generally credited with the highest intelligence in birds, and trust me, crows in particular recognize individuals. If you have ever done anything threatening to a crow (to the crow's mind), it will recognize you and harass you when possible by swooping down like a dive bomber just inches from your head. If you are truly unlucky the whole crow family will get in on the fun.

Errrr, no, I haven't had it happen to me, but it used to happen to my father (he didn't want them nesting in one particular tree). I regret to say I found it rather amusing at the time.

East Hill

Thought you guys who don't have these might enjoy a pic I took a couple weeks ago. They are really common in my area, but this was the only time I've ever gotten this close.

http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/787/turkeyvultures1mt.th.jpg (http://img126.imageshack.us/my.php?image=turkeyvultures1mt.jpg)

Magpies used to dive bomb me and actually peck my helmet back home in aus. Not as scary as your story though!

Quick, get in the phone booth!


Don't drop that cigarette in the gasoline.............oops.

Is that why they are called buzzards??

Turkey Buzzards just circle me; they must think I'm going to drop dead. :)

Sorry to nerd out on you, but I do have a degree in zoology (not that I use it for anything but weird facts). Turkey vultures are not birds of prey. They are actually storks. So their beaks are weaker and their feet are very week. Concequently, when you corner a TV, like other storks, their last line of defence is to vomit on you.
So the moral of the story is that if this happens again, don't worry about getting killed by them, just worry about getting vomited on.
I love turkey vulture, so I envy you. IMO they have mastered flying like no other bird, unfortunately they happen to be quite ugly.
Scott

Sorry to nerd out on you, but I do have a degree in zoology (not that I use it for anything but weird facts). Turkey vultures are not birds of prey. They are actually storks. So their beaks are weaker and their feet are very week. Concequently, when you corner a TV, like other storks, their last line of defence is to vomit on you.
So the moral of the story is that if this happens again, don't worry about getting killed by them, just worry about getting vomited on.
I love turkey vulture, so I envy you. IMO they have mastered flying like no other bird, unfortunately they happen to be quite ugly.
Scott


so that's what happened! in 1997 i was touring back from chesapeke (sp) virginia solo. from a field, about 5 or 6 of these road kill cleaners (of a bunch total of +/- 10) were flying over and around me.
a huge pile of glop (scientific terminology here) just missed me from above. i bolted out of there; this detracted from my time of silence with nature. glad i was not hit, and thanks for helping me to learn someting new today!

Actually I believe that have to be cornered. I do not beleive they do it on the offensive. The huge pile of glop was probably coming from the other end.
I was just joking when I insinuated they would do it while chasing you away. Years ago while working with rehab birds (permenently injured birds), one vomited on the glove I was wearing. Its not pretty.
Scott

It could be worse - tourist down here discover that the howler monkeys have a rather effective tactic if you try to get too close for photos.

They throw their feces at you...

They are a creepy bunch, aren't they?

Actually I believe that have to be cornered. I do not beleive they do it on the offensive. The huge pile of glop was probably coming from the other end.
I was just joking when I insinuated they would do it while chasing you away. Years ago while working with rehab birds (permenently injured birds), one vomited on the glove I was wearing. Its not pretty.
Scott

My roomates mother does wildlife rehab. They had a trucker come in one day who had hit a juvenile TV with his truck. He got out, and picked the bird up (it had been knocked out), put it in the truck and started on his way to her mom's house. About halfway there the bird woke up and proceeded to let loose all the vomit and excrement it had available inside his truck. She said she had never seen anything like it.

I thought maybe this post had to do with the other end of the bird.

Actually, the front end of the turkey vulture could be worse than the back end. A defense mechanism they have is to puke up their stomach contents which is usually very ripe carrion!

My roomates mother does wildlife rehab. They had a trucker come in one day who had hit a juvenile TV with his truck. He got out, and picked the bird up (it had been knocked out), put it in the truck and started on his way to her mom's house. About halfway there the bird woke up and proceeded to let loose all the vomit and excrement it had available inside his truck. She said she had never seen anything like it.
Right. I should read the whole thread before I post. The front end spew was probably on purpose and the back end was involuntary when it saw the trucker!