Government Vultures

[NorthernFocus]

Today I drove a couple of hours to visit a site in hopes of some unique bird photography. Neither the weather nor the birds cooperated very well. The location was near a popular boat launch and fishing area. It also turned out to be a favorite hang out for black vultures which are not what I was there to shoot.

For unknown reasons(duh) the vulture population in the USA has grown rapidly over the past thirty years. Both their feces, urine, and defensive vomit are highly acidic. Unfortunately they have a propensity to roost in large numbers on man made structures such as large steel power poles which don't react well to being covered in acidic excrement. In addition to the "acid rain" issue, they have very sharp and strong beaks and talons and (for unknown reasons) tend to land on parked automobiles and destroy the paint job, windshield wipers, and rubber window seals. In general as their numbers grown they are becoming very destructive.

Since they are migratory birds they are regulated in the USA by federal law which strictly prohibits killing them, disturbing their nests, etc. Federal wildlife officials tend to be less than sympathetic when wildlife has negative impacts on people. But in their infinite wisdom they did come up with a solution to the vulture problems. After much study at who knows what expense, they came up with an "effigy" program. Basically "studies have shown" that if you display a fake dead vulture, the others upon seeing it flee the area never to return. They go crap on someone else's stuff.

The area that I visited has implemented an "effigy" program to disperse the vultures. Below is a photo of a sign that is posted at the base of a structure resembling an old fashioned gallows from which one of the effigies was hanging. To save your eyes the sign reads:

"Duke energy is currently working with the US Department of Agriculture to disperse black vultures...Vulture effigies provided by the USDA are being used in an attempt to disperse roosts...

Here's a shot of the effigy. It looks like the remains of a dead bird hung upside down.



And the results of the studies paid for by taxpayers?



I wish the IRS was as effective...

[Shadowman]

Nice captures.

[mknittle]

I thought that was the IRS.

[Mike Buckley]

This is just too funny. It reminds me of when I did some research to determine if a plastic owl hung in front of my carport would keep other small birds out of the carport. The best review I saw of the effectiveness of using plastic owls is that they absolutely keep all the other plastic birds away. Fortunately, my plastic owl has worked wonders for years, so there's hope for eventual success of the vulture effigy.

[pnodrog]

I am delighted at the failure. The last thing I want is for them to migrate down here and shower me with acid rain.

[NorthernFocus]

I am delighted at the failure. The last thing I want is for them to migrate down here and shower me with acid rain.

If they get wind of all the roadkill opossum and pukekos down there they may give the migration a go. Though they may have trouble adjusting from mph to kph when judging the very last second that they can jump off the roadkill to avoid becoming same.

[Donald]

I think that's the wildlife equivalent of sticking a finger up at authority.

[Wavelength]

That is a story well told with illustration

[marlunn]

hmm vultures, they eat dead things - sometimes 'very' dead things, I know, to scare them away we will hang up things that look like dead things - ahh the government at work, good to know they have a solid grasp of reality

[madcrow]

Brilliant, humorous and very well spotted. Good to see how well taxpayers money is spent and getting great value.

[Suzan J]

Hilarious! I learned a new phrase today... "acidic excrement". I wonder when I shall be able to use it in a sentence.

[Craigie]

A good narrative and fun images, Dan.

[Rita]

Your commentary is hilarious. Fits right in with what they are going to do here. City Hall has decided that there are too many geese so they have hired a company which will go around in the spring and shake the eggs. This act should ensure that the eggs don't hatch which means less baby geese. The catch on this is, they did this a couple of years ago and it didn't work.

[NorthernFocus]

Hilarious! I learned a new phrase today... "acidic excrement". I wonder when I shall be able to use it in a sentence.

How about "he/she has such a sour expression I'll bet they have acidic excrement".

[LePetomane]

I wish the IRS was as effective...

Dan, the IRS is very effective. That is the problem.

[mknittle]

Dan, the IRS is very effective. That is the problem.

And they are vultures.

[NorthernFocus]

Glad you guys got a kick out of the post. The two birds sitting on the gallows were obvious and easy to capture. When you're there what's a lot more obvious indication of the failed program is the presence of several HUNDRED vultures in the trees, on power poles, lining the top of the dam, and busy destroying the parked cars.

[KimC]

Very interesting Dan - thanks for sharing!

[John 2]

No Dan, surely it's the answer to the question "What do Federal Wildlife Officials tend to talk"?

[Ken MT]

Send it to Duke Energy!