Uncommon Black Vulture Visits Connecticut
March 1, 2008
Photo by Ann O’Leary.
On February 27 staff at our Center at Fairfield realized the Turkey Vulture they thought was sitting atop an outdoor cage (where we house our birds of prey) was really a Black Vulture, an uncommon sight in Connecticut. According to Milan Bull, Connecticut Audubon’s senior director of science and conservation, Black Vultures can be found scattered along the Atlantic coastline from Florida to New Jersey but sightings in Connecticut are on the rise.
from my frequent sightins of black vultures in the middletown area, it’s apparent they are establishing roosting groups here .their numbers are growing even this winter . I recommend that if you spot turkey vultures over the south farms section of the city that you look carefully at the group,morethan likely you’ll see several blacks.
I have pictures of black vultures in my back yard in Derby, CT. This morning i took a picture of one on my front porch. I also have a few pictures of 2 black vultures on a tree trunk on a snowy morning, they were there for hours and had snow on their backs, interesting enough they didn’t seem to care about the snow and didn’t move.
Spotted a pair of black vultures in Madison CT, yesterday.
I saw a black vulture in Niantic CT this morning near Gorton Pond.
A pair of black vultures spotted in Cheshire Connecticut on roof of homes on June 5, 2009. Neighbor then saw a single vulture on another home in neighborhood on June 8, 2009.
One has made my house his home, so far, for the last 24 hours. My husband has been able to hand feed it frogs. He is a juvenile as he still has his feathers on his head. We have a small pond, and the bird follows my husband around, waiting for my husband to hunt frogs to feed him. Last night he slept on my chimney. He came down this morning when my husband started going near the pond. This afternoon, he is resting on the railing of my deck. He is not bothered by my dogs, who are constantly trying to get the bird. The dogs are fenced and they sit there and bark at the bird. The bird is not phased by this. I live in Deep River.
From atop the cliffs between N.Canaan and Falls Village , (they run parallel to route 7), I just sighted a group (approx. 5) of black vultures riding the thermals. They came so close to where I was siting that I was positive that they weren’t Turkey Vultures. I’m glad to find this post on line as the field guide puts the Black Vulture’s northern most range in PA.
Chester Connecticut- we have a black vulture that has been quite friendly sitting on front doorsteps and trees in open spaces for the past week. He/she can been seen around the boat launch and neighboring streets on Cedar Lake. I do wonder if it is the same one Chris saw in August – as dogs do not bother it at all.
I have had black vultures here at my house in Lyme very frequently since we moved in on June 2008. I know they were here even before that when the house was vacant for sometime (I saw them in 2007). It’s a pair that had two baby vultures this spring. The whole family comes here to groom themselves, bask in the warm sun, drink the water I put out for them, and play with their toys (shoe laces, plastic strips, boxes, baby toys). They are very curious and maybe a bit nosy always peeking in my windows and doors. I talk to them by making woofing sounds and they love music so much they will sit right next to a radio. Not bothered by my shihapoo who runs around near them on the deck. I can sit with them or walk right past, they won’t flinch. I was considering feeding them eggs so they won’t be hungry- not sure if it’s a good idea. In the summer months, one or both of them sleeps behind my chimney. I can expect them to leave soon for a couple months and they will be back in early spring.
Today at 12pm I saw and have phone photos of six in Westport Ct. feeding off an opposum . Feb. 2, 2010. and I have seen them in Cheshire Ct. in past months
2/12 @ 9:15 am: My daughter and I just saw what I am reasonably certain are two black vultures–seemingly young–atop the Cheshire YMCA building over the back entrance of Shangra-La restaurant. I’ve never seen one before and watched them for quite a while. Is there a nest up there?
2/13/2010 @ 16:30: Eastern CT State University, Willimantic, CT. There must have been 50+ vultures circling above the library prior to settling down for the evening . They are roosting in several large pine trees on the campus. I did not see a red head amongst them. All black headed birds. Beautiful and spooky to watch. Possibly feeding off the abundant food refuse in the dumpsters..
i have seen anywhere from 3 or 4 up to 35 or 40 black vultures in danbury, ct for the last 2 weeks. there is a strip mall with 3 take-out joints next to where i work and the dumpsters are usually full. they scavenge alongside seagulls and crows. when not on the dumpster or surrounding ground they can be seen roosting on nearby buildings. prior to this i have never seen these birds before.
I JUST SAW A BLACK VULTURE IN SOUTHINGTON ON THE CORNER OF EAST STREET ON THE GROUND, IN A COW FARM.
I JUST SAW A BLACK VULTURE IN SOUTHINGTON ON THE CORNER OF EAST STREET ON THE GROUND, IN A COW FARM.
I think I just saw a black vulture today. I thought was loosing my mind but I watched him forr quite some time until he landed on an an oak, them few over onto someones roof. It was in New Britain near the Farmington line.
My aunt had many vultures at her home in Guilford, CT last year. How do you scare them off? They made a mess of her deck and she was afraid they would attack her.
I live in garden ridge Texas. We have bl ack vultures everywhere.
Last few months in the spring,baby fawns are being born in by back
Yard. I keep half my yard wild. Every year
They have thier babies. In the last couple years I have
Noticed one or two will fly around my yard looking for the baby.
They are getting more aggressive every year. This year I heard a strange
Noise and went outside and watched in shock, a moma deer was beating
The crap out of a black vulture. She was taking her hoofs and jumping
Up and down on it. Never seem anything like it . She dragged the bird
Clear accross the yard she would never back down.I was in awe. Even my
Nieghbor who was coming home,and got of her car to watch too.I hate
Those black vultures and worry about them not only eating the dead,but they are
Gettying aggressive and going for the live young. Healthy not sick! How long
Before the attack our pets!!
Sorry if hard to read it is so hard to type on freaking itouch!!
My son and i was walking in Bristol,Ct. on Sunday,June 27th,and I saw this strange looking bird,big black bird,with large wings,and a red baldish head,it was soaring over head in and out of trees,then it landed right above where we were walking and sat in this tall tree for quite some time,we watched it for quite a while,i knew it was a vulture,never had seen one in person,but I told my husband and he said I was nuts,but i just went on line and found this site and knew i was right.It was the same looking bird,I did get a pic of it but did not get close enough.
Well, one of the black vultures that comes here had a very bad broken wing one day. She came to me on foot around the side of the house. She was finally captured by professionals and lives at a large bird of prey sanctuary nearby-she couldn’t be released into the wild again- shattered her “wrist”
bones and bandaged up by a vet.
Her mate has gotten a new partner already whom he brings over (I’m shocked!). She’s warmed up now but at first she wanted nothing to with me!!
I’ve been giving the vultures just water for over 2 years but I made the mistake of throwing them a little rotisserie chicken a couple of weeks ago. They pounced on it and were pains in the neck for the rest of the day looking in the windows and staying a bit too long. The next day they were back and I stood in front of them to lecture “OK, you need to forget all about the fact that I gave you chicken yesterday; you’ll never get it ever again so just put it out of your head.” Well, they are back to normal now so I think they have forgotten, I hope.
I wonder if they will have babies this year.
I just had one of these birds in my yard. I live in North Haven Ct on a main road, He wasn’t afraid of cars, as he kept trying to cross the road before turning around and heading right toward me. I yelled “Get out” at him as I stood less then ten feet from him and he just had no reaction and proceeded in my direction. I ran away!! He bopped around the yard for a while long enough for me to wake my kids and get them outside to see this huge bird. then He flew on top my shed and then over through our yard,over the neighbors house into the woods some where. What an intimidating looking bird. The beek, the Talons…. the size!!
I spotted one of these this morning on my drive in to work. Stopped and took his picture. I wasn’t sure what I was seeing at first, he was so big and dark all over. This one was doing exactly what the one in the posted picture is doing – perching on the roof of a one story building. Now that I think about it I’ve probably seen black faced vultures before but because they’ve been soaring way up, I haven’t noticed that they don’t have red skin covered heads. I’ll be looking for the difference now.
Sept 13: I forgot to say in my previous post that this vulture was spotted in Westbrook, CT.
I got A goergeous picture of this black vulture which I had to hunt the identity of down.in danbury ct , snacking on roadkill…..he actually sat on pilliar in front of my house …awsome pic …if intreated in seeing let me know
My vultures have one baby (chick) this year!! He/She has a white head and beautiful feathers. I hope to get a picture soon but baby won’t stick around long enough for me to get my camera. The parents are still coming around as normal. They are still enjoying water and resting in the sun on the deck. They are funny- if I go indoors they will move over to the window as closely as possible on the rail to observe me inside. Trust me, they don’t want to eat me! They are very sociable for some reason.
I saw FOUR LARGE BLACK VULTURES this morning! In my neighborhood in Hamden, CT. First I thought they were turkeys and as I got closer I thought crows, but they were too big. The first thought as I was passing by was Vultures! They would not move out of the road like normal birds do. I was shocked.
UNCOMMON? for the past two weeks I have spotted about 200 in Derby between
Smith St and 9th St, every night they came to sleep in my spruce tree around 80 or 90 of them. this turkey vultures have red face. I had never seen them before in the past years.
In the USA it is illegal to take, kill, or possess Turkey Vultures, and violation of the law is punishable by a fine of up to 15,000 US dollars and imprisonment of up to six month
Stonington, CT 2/3/11 I took video and photos will my cell phone from my 2nd fl bedroom looking down at 3 Black Vultures eating kitchen compost I put into my fenced in vegetable gardens. They were displaying all 4′ of wing spans as if heating them in the sun? I can email the photos if anyone wants to see them. chriswalkerwright@gmail.com
How great to find this site! We live in Shelton, and there are 5 or 6 black vultures at my neighbor’s house! We usually see turkey vultures, but never black ones. Cool! We left for work one morning and they were all around her chimney. I went over to see them and they are not frightened by people or dogs,it seems. I now remember seeing a juvenile a while back..it was dark gray. Aren’t they more native to the south? I was surprised to see them up here, especially with the harsh winter we just had.
I have three little dogs, the smallest a 10 lb chihuahua. I saw a group of vultures – looked like black vultures – flying low and I ran out and stayed close to the dogs. Will they attack? Will they attack if a human is out there? They stayed on my neighbor’s roof/chimney and watched. Anything I can do to prevent my dogs getting attacked? Thanks.
Forgot to say I am in Shelton, CT
I saw three black vultures circling over the dunkin doughnuts on Washington st in Middletown across from Palmer field yesterday morning. First sighting for me in CT. Judy I believe the black not the turkey vultures will kill small animals but if your close by the dogs will be OK. the’re not big enough to fly away with a ten pound dog and would have to be very hungry to take a chance on getting injured.
Live in Southington and have a picture of 3 black vultures sitting on my neighbors roof after I scared them wlile they were feasting on a dead squirrel
when I got out of the car to take their picture. Have also seen a group of 5
soaring over our town hall building and perched in the local cemetary.
matthew 24:28 where the body (carcus) is there the vultures will gather. see also revelation 19:18. then the angel said come gather the birds of the air to feast on the flesh of kings and generals and all people great and small free and slave. I HAVE been seeing these strange non- native birds in my aera in CT also. i see them soaring in circles overhead. somthing is about to go down and they are here for a reason. pray that you may have the strength to escape these things and start to truly LOVE your neighbor NOW. turn your heart back to god and dont worry bout your body your spirit will be saved.
john on June 22nd:
You are a moron
Saw a pair of Black Vultures on Rte 37 in New Fairfield (09/22/11). All black birds with blatant light brown on the outer most wings displayed when they took flight at tree level.
I have a huge Vulture for a week now in my yard feasting on a dead racoon or? Milford CT. next to wetlands.
In November I saw 3 black vultures feasting on a dead squirel which I had run over earlier in the day. I thought they were crows, but on closer inspection I realized they were vultures, but not turkey vultures. They kind of reminded me of black sea gulls
I previously sited 3 black vultures in January as I have previously mentioned. I forgot that I saw them in Cheshire, Ct. I have seen more of them near Dowling Ford on Main St. in Cheshire.