FEEL FREE TO CONTRIBUTE YOUR COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS BELOW OR IN GREATER DETAIL AT THE RAPTORX FORUM FOR BLACK VULTURES 2016. YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN REAL-TIME VULTURE NEST CHAT
If you lose live video (which may occur during camera changes), click on the “play” arrow or refresh your screen by clicking on the circular arrow to the right of the URL line.
The Tri-State VultureCam is up and running for 2017. From the 2010 to the 2013 breeding seasons, 6 chicks hatched and another 3 orphans from other locations fledged for a total of 9 fledglings from this nest site. The nest site was not used by vultures during the 2014 and 2015 breeding seasons, and the adult male, tagged #17 in 2013, has not returned. However, an untagged pair took up residence in late February 2016 resulting in two successful fledgings. An untagged pair took up residence again in early February 2017.
One of our long-term research objectives is to determine whether the same pair tends to occupy the shed year after year or if occupancy changes, possibly resulting from some form of competition or due to disturbing the nest site by tagging adults and/or chicks. Another objective of this multi-generational study is to observe ongoing working relationships between family members from year to year.
As in previous years, we are recording selected video and audio from several cameras, 24/7 for research purposes. However, our computer only streams video to this website from one camera at a time. We try to display the most interesting vulture behavior at any given moment. Sometimes the screen goes black after switching cameras. If this happens, you may be able restore the video by refreshing the webpage (by clicking on the circular arrow near the top center of the webpage for Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers). Known technical difficulties preventing viewing will be reported at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bkvu-test-3. Real-time chat regarding nesting activities is also available at this site. Day-to-day narrative and photos of nesting activity is available at RaptorX Forum for vultures, owls, and eagles
Viewing nesting behavior over the Internet, rather than observing the birds directly, avoids activity near the nest that could lead the adults to abandon it. PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO LOCATE THE NEST SITE OR APPROACH IT AS DOING SO COULD RESULT IN DEATH OF THE CHICKS AND THE END OF THIS RESEARCH.
Comments from viewers relating to observations of vulture behavior or suggestions for research are most welcome.
4/23 10:40 a.m. went off air again. TY.
4/23 am 10:35 a.m. Cam view changed back to full shed view. Seems two are in the hatch corner.
Thank you! Seems it’s going to get interesting to spot the chick.
Feathers, sticks, stones and all those goodies to play with but NO.. chick wants to be about the place. Amazing how fast the chick is growing.
Hello to all, 4/23
Stevie went on walk about 8:35 a.m.
Two adults were in the shed, at least 3 feedings and chick had wings flapping hard and fast, no keeping chick in the bowl area, had a hard time getting over the edge but once chick “escaped” it was off cam in a couple minutes!
Company has gone so I will be catching up today.
Nice close up of female parent feeding chick …. 6:19pm. Please correct me if it was not the female.
Thank you as well, Fran, for your helpful observations. This is such a great learning experience for all of us and so much fun as we watch the chick grow and develop. Want to savor every minuteas time allows.
Thank you Carol and Lynn. Both your comments were very helpful! I find it fascinating to observe these Vultures and their chick. When I was watching yesterday at 1:20 pm, it appeared that one was larger than the other, especially when viewing the Parents feet. Now it could of been due to the view from the camera. I enjoy watching the chick put it’s little feet on top of the Parents feet at different times. We can learn so much from nature and our beautiful wildlife. I live among many different kinds of wildlife and am thankful that I can experience their beauty. Thanks again for the information.
Lovely close up of female
Lynn, we’ll catch up with one another one of these days. Last week of teaching; next week grading. Almost finished for the semester. As with you and your activities of the past few days, trying to juggle obligations with keeping track of parents and chick. Be sure to see my banner on Forum. Now it’s a day later – belated.
Hi again,Carol, too funny we were typing at the same time. I am on my way out again today, will be on normal schedule tomorrow, reading, writing and clicking away.
Hi everyone,
Fran, Looking at feathers and facial markings, they can be differentiated and by behavior too.
Female has deep V eyebrow, male has thinner undefined unibrow.
On the left side of his beak, there is a # pattern in front of his left eye. Female has a O with a line through it, same spot.
She has lighter feathers on her back. Male is far more glossy in appearance. His beak is crooked at the end.
Male pecks at the dirt a lot. Female usually faces into the corner, or into the tank.
Female enters the shed much more quickly, usually. The Male, he enters slower, walks around much more.
My humble opinions but after viewing quite a bit, I feel safe and secure with my discoveries. Also Fayee and Carol have made more behavioral differences than I have. I tend to look more for patterns.
Hope this helps.
Fran, it is extremely difficult to tell the difference. I still get confused and I’ve taken and studied hundreds of screen captures. Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures do not generally differe in size the way some Raptors such as Bald Eagles do. Sometimes, the female vulture will be only the slightest bit larger. From what I have seen here, the female tends to display the white wing edgings more than the male, may possibly be even wider markings, and her bill is straighter. Male seems to have a slight crook to bill. The female also has a v-shaped feathered (really just fuzz, but considered feathers) marking on the bare skin above the eyes. It can be frustrating.
I suppose it’s either tailfeathers or wingtip feathers…looked strange on the video. This is all new to me.
It’s 8:00 ..they’re sleeping but for the life of me I can’t figure out what that object is that’s laying close to him/her…partly covered by their feathers.
Can anyone tell me which Black Vulture is the female? It was somewhere around 1:20 I believe that the other parent came in and traded places and fed chick. The parent that came to trade places was the larger of the two parents? Is that the female?
Feeding by female at 12:07 P.M. Will post sequence to Forum later. Lovely to see.
Feeding sequence from 10:21 A.M. shows just how equally devoted these parents are to their chick. Both try to feed at one time, one finally allowing other to take over. A bit of difficulty as parent tries to position chick. Screen captures posted to Forum.
Aibrean21 has gotten her wish. The preening and grooming continues, dad and chick, same this morning as was last night. Amazing to see it Live.
Longest I have seen chick left alone by parents — usually no longer than a couple of minutes. Today little nestling “one and only” was alone for almost thirty minutes. Have posted to Forum sequence of screen captures showing its interesting responses. Little one did just fine. When parent returned to feed Nestling One at 4:30 P.M., appeared to turn bill away.
Very exciting day. Thanks are in order again to the Black Vulture Project for sharing their important work. Thanks to Bob and Mike for
keeping us updated and for outstanding camera work.
Looking forward to Week 2 for Chick and parents. Just look what first week brought us.
what a day! Male is preening chick. 4/20 6:21 p.m.
Something got the parent’s attention at 4:03pm. Made a quick exit from nest. Looks like the chick was just getting comfy under the parent too at the time. Parent came back at 4:30. That was a little suspenseful. Couldn’t stop watching till the parent came back.
Thanks so much, Bob, for closeups.
Hourly feedings continue. Have posted screen captures of two feeding sequences on Forum, one from 2:05 to 2:08 P.M. and a second from 3:01 to 3:06 P.M. Beautiful chick visible most of time.
Great shot of Parent and chick….. 2:04pm feeding! 🙂
Nice view of the chick today at 12:46pm in front of the tank –double sink. Taking many baby steps. Parent busy pecking at the ground.
It is very nice to see the wings have been flapping away, chick looks healthy and thriving. great.