Buzzards? Vultures?

[PWGUNNY]

Never saw these guys on Long Island before. I took this pic pulling out of my office parking lot in Jericho yesterday. These 2 guys were pecking at a dead squirrel.

[LIhunter92]

Been seeing them more and more on the island, nasty lookin birds

[ants]

We have a ton of them upstate (north of Syracuse) I think they're turkey vultures. Saw a bunch just the other day picking at something dead, out in a field. Nasty.

[PWGUNNY]

They might come in handy trying to recover a shot deer, though it may be too late at that point.

[growalot]

From opening day of bow we've had 2 circling the hill...I'm hoping they are just looking for gut piles....Where we use to live ...North of here there were large flocks of them living along the Genesee river

[Geno C]

man that looks like a turkey vulture, didint know we had those out here??

[Jennifer]

Those are turkey vultures, and very important to our ecosystem as a whole.

Vultures can prevent the spread of disease. In one study in which vultures were fed disease-causing organisms, including anthrax and botulism (this should be of note to hunters, ESPECIALLY waterfowl hunters, where botulism is a real concern!), it was found that most bacteria were killed in the vultures' highly acidic stomachs. Without vultures to efficiently remove large amounts of decaying meat, both air and groundwater could show increased contamination.

Some people don't like them because they're ugly, but they aren't much 'uglier' than their namesake, the wild turkey, which many of us love a great deal.

[joe12]

nature's vacuum cleaners

[Elmo]

awesome! never knew they exist in the area.

[WNYBuckHunter]

They are all over up here

[Sogaard]

We even have them in Staten Island. I've seen them eating road kill along 440, and seen them flying over the former-landfill-soon-to-be-biggest-park-in-the-city.

Pretty cool birds with massive wingspans.

Edited October 18, 2012 by Sogaard

[damore81]

I have never seen them downstate, only upstate. Cool to know they are here. Are they considered birds of prey? I dont recall seeing them on the DEC site.

[Sogaard]

I do not believe so, I think they are strictly carrion eaters.

[damore81]

Too bad. I was considering leaving my wife's annoying pug outside next time they are flying overhead lol!

[Sogaard]

Hey, we have at least 1 coyote on SI, there is still hope.

[damore81]

Hey, we have at least 1 coyote on SI, there is still hope.

Really??? Thats news to me. Where has a coyote been spotted? I have seen fox, rabbits, and skunks but not much more than that.

[Jennifer]

I have never seen them downstate, only upstate. Cool to know they are here. Are they considered birds of prey? I dont recall seeing them on the DEC site.

All vultures are classified as birds of prey-- that siad, they prefer prey that is already deceased! They are not adapted to hunt and kill live critters. Their feet are weak compared to other raptors, but their beak is wicked, for cutting into carcasses.

[Karpteach]

Very cool!

[waterweasle]

2 species of vulture in the area, turkey vultures and black vultures

[Hunter1]

I have seen many up by me in 4g