Vultures lay siege to small Polk County town

[austin552]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-vultures0508mar05,0,6955130.story

Eloisa Ruano Gonzalez | Sentinel Staff Writer
March 5, 2008
Article tools
E-mail Share
Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Fark Google Newsvine Reddit Yahoo Print Reprints Post comment Text size: BARTOW - An army of ravenous vultures is invading this quiet Polk community, ripping shingles from rooftops, chewing on the rubber linings of car doors and windows, and leaving behind an overwhelming stench from their waste.

"They've multiplied. And multiplied. And multiplied until we've been inundated," said Jim Spigner, president of the homeowners association for Floral Lakes, a 55-plus mobile-home community where the birds roost.

Although many residents are demanding help, city officials say little can be done about the hundreds of black and turkey vultures because they are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Vultures have additional protection under a bird-sanctuary ordinance adopted by Bartow in the 1950s, City Attorney Sean Parker said.

Federal law doesn't allow people to trap or kill vultures, and the city prohibits behavior that would "maltreat, annoy or pursue any bird."

Scaring off the vultures could be considered a violation, resulting in fees up to $500 a day, Bartow officials said. The city plans to amend the rules, but the details have yet to be worked out, Parker said. Hanging up likenesses of dead vultures or using noise are options.

Residents are frustrated by the rules.

James Bruce, 44, estimates damage to two family cars totals $3,000 to $4,000. He said the birds tore the rubber lining from windows and scratched the hood and roof of his daughter's new Ford Fusion and an older Geo Tracker.

The situation conjures images from director Alfred Hitchcock's classic movie The Birds, Bruce said. He and his family spray the vultures with water to scare them away. Other residents chase them off with brooms. Some people are crafting their own gadgets to shoo away the birds, including wooden tablets they bang to make noise and sprinklers that switch on during peak hours for roosting. Yet, the birds still come back.

Spigner, the homeowners association president, said the number of buzzards has drastically increased within the last two years.

"The problem isn't going to go away until they disturb the roost," said Spigner, 64.

It's unknown what attracts a group of buzzards to a certain area, said Dr. Michael Avery, a research biologist. Avery, who leads the National Wildlife Research field office in Gainesville, said it's not uncommon for vultures to settle in neighborhoods. His office gets a few phone calls every week about problems from across the state. More people call during winter season -- from October to March.

According to wildlife experts, it's common vulture behavior to gnaw on rubber and vinyl because the birds use the techniques for devouring animal carcasses.

They also like to find high spots to roost. In 2003, the Orange County Commission awarded a $141,000 "emergency contract" to vanquish vultures from atop the 23-story courthouse. The county wanted to avoid shelling out $20,000 annually to replace gnawed caulking. Nonlethal, high-voltage metal tracks also had been installed along some ledges to drive away the birds.

The vultures, which weigh about 4 to 5 pounds, can prey on small livestock, Avery said. They are an important part of the ecosystem because they clean up dead animals from roads, he said. And they need a home somewhere.

Dr. Daniel Haight, director of the Polk County Health Department, said no diseases associated with vultures have been reported. Residents should wash their hands if they come in contact with vultures' body fluids or waste -- as with any other animal, he said.

Tavares, in Lake County, also was infested with a couple dozen vultures a few years ago. Police Chief Stoney Lubins said the birds left after a few weeks and haven't returned.

"They hung around the city, like a Hitchcock movie," Lubins said. "We had a wary eye on each other."

[Joeaksa]

10 or 12 gauge works well on these!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Agreed. Make it a covert op, since the birds are "protected".

[Joeaksa]

Protect them with a shovel and dirt. No one will bother them then!

[TerryBPP]

On my golf course there is a tree that has anywhere from 50-200 buzzards in it at one time. They circle the course all day. Before moving there I had never even seen on in a tree.

I'm guessing we are on top of an Indian burial ground. That would explain the drums at night.