Originally Posted by Birdwatcher
Originally Posted by hanco
[quote=stxhunter]Buzzards are on them in Burnet ten minutes after you shoot one. I’m talking hundreds of them. Rancher tries to calve about now, no black buzzards, a few Turkey bastards, that’s all.

How far north do buzzards go in the summer. Black buzzards didn’t show up until about ten years ago


Black vultures don’t move around much, they actually live in related social groups, they are heavier than turkey vultures and not as good at soaring without strong thermals. Given strong thermals they soar higher and faster than Turkey vultures. They are spreading north and increasing in many places, even in the South.

Right now they are found as far north as Southern NY/Southern New England and Southern PA across to S. Arkansas, SE Kansas and the Eastern 2/3,of Oklahoma and TX. Also parts of S.Arizona. Still absent from most of the West.

Turkey vultures, being lighter in weight with longer wings can get by in cooler climates, in summer they are found across N.America to S. Canada, retreat to a range much like that of black vulture in winter. Being more solitary and able to locate carrion by smell, they are better at surviving in desert areas where there are fewer animals per unit area to provide carrion.

Both species have benefitted enormously from the establishment of our road network.


Does Beaver have an award for Understatement of the Year? wink

I've seen 3-4 turkey vultures on one squashed Belding's ground squirrel on the roads around here. That's a lot of activity for a less than 1 lb critter dead on the road. But, no doubt it helps the vultures on their migration north in the spring. Last year with the drought, we had quite a few more hanging around all summer. Maybe they "knew" more critters were gonna die?


The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men.
In it is contentment
In it is death and all you seek
(Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)

member of the cabal of dysfunctional squirrels?