One of our long-term research objectives is to determine whether the same black vulture pair occupies the shed each year or if occupancy changes, possibly resulting from some form of competition. Another objective of our multi-generational study is to describe relationships between family members from year to year. When three vultures showed up at the shed January 2013, we wanted to know who they were and whether they were related.
Tagging the vultures enables us to identify specific individuals and to determine their inter-relationships. Leg bands or wing tags are placed on many species of birds each year to assist with research regarding parental behavior, migration patterns, survival rates, extended family associations, monogamy, and minimum breeding ages.
Wing tags rather than leg bands are broadly used to identify individual black vultures. This is because vultures regularly urinate on their legs, thereby killing the bacteria that might otherwise accumulate as a result of their walking through carrion while they clean up the environment. This urination also serves to cool their bodies through evaporation. If the kind of leg bands used for other birds were used for vultures, the bands could become encrusted with fecal residue and result in debilitating leg irritation. For this reason, patagial tags are used for vultures. These tags are secured to the birds’ patagium, a fold of skin in the front of their wings. The tags can be read from a considerable distance, both when the vultures are flying overhead and when they are perched. They remain in place for several years, often for the life-span of the bird.
Tri-State is fortunate to have support for our tagging from David Barber of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. David has extensive experience in wing-tagging and trains others in this procedure. Three interns accompanied David when he tagged a black vulture in northern Delaware on May 7, 2013. They were Marian Wahl of San Francisco, Marta Sendra Vega of Cadiz, Spain, and Hankyu Kim of Seoul, South Korea.
Adult vultures are tagged shortly after their chicks hatch since the adults are much less likely to abandon a nest then. Chicks are tagged a couple weeks before they fledge, after which they are even more difficult to capture. Gender was determined by DNA testing.
The pictures below demonstrate the challenges and care involved in capturing, tagging, and tracking black vultures. Click on a picture to enlarge it.
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- The Capture Squad monitored vulture movements as part of planning for a safe capture.
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- At the same time, wary vultures monitored Capture Squad’s preparations.
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- Tri-State’s Capture Squad is elated after a long, thoughtful, and successful campaign.
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- After capture, the male vulture was brought to Tri-State and monitored remotely in a holding pen until the tagging team was ready.
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- Prior to tagging, measurements were taken by skilled bird handlers and researchers.
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- David Barber of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary skillfully attached a tag with assistance from Tri-State’s staff.
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- Tagging went smoothly and according to plan.
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- The Tag Team, from left: Marian Whal , Aimee Federer, Erica Miller, Greg Keegan, Marta Sedra Vega, Sarah Tegtmeier, Hankyu Kim, and David Barber.
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- Tagged and measurements taken, black vulture #17 Is more than ready to return home.
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- And return he did! Quick like a vulture. All the way home.
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- Explaining all this to his wife was a challange.
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- After the excitement, the parents promptly resumed their routines to care for their chick.
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- Now it was easy to distinguish the adult male from the female.
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- V-Cuber Lynn Helck (right) joined the team for tagging the three chicks, including “Stevie” and the two orphan chicks adopted by the adults.
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- Now it was possible to easily distinguish between the three chicks.
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- Tag numbers are visable whether the birds are perched or soaring overhead.
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- The wiley adult female eluded attempts to tag her. This year.
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- Since the adult male was tagged, we could determine whether he or she was caring for the chicks at any point in time.
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- The tags will enable us to identify individual members of this family throughout the year.
During May and June 2013, four of the five members of one vulture family were tagged with bright yellow wing tags from Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, numbered as follows:
* Adult male: #17 (left wing)
* Adult female (presumed): untagged
* Male chick from adult pair: #26 (left wing)
* Male foster chick from MD: #30 (left wing)
* Male foster chick from MD: #267 (right wing)
On June 20, 2016 two more chicks from the nest were tagged:
• Chick from adult pair #56 (left wing)
• Chick from adult pair #247 (right wing)
On June 6, 2017, two more chicks from the nest were tagged:
• Chick from adult pair #347 (right wing)
• Chick from adult pair #294 (right wing) Died 7/12/17 as a result of a raccoon attack.
Three of these six birds have been sighted since they were tagged:
#17: Adult Male Tagged 5/6/13
5/9/13 Near Middle Run Valley Natural Area, Newark, DE (39d42’52.39” x 75d43’34.67”)
3/9/14 Old Coach Rd x Polly Drummond Hill Rd, Newark, DE (39d42’40.81” x 75d42’40.26”)
5/22/14 Near Middle Run Valley Natural Area, Newark, DE (39d42’52.39” x 75d43’34.67”)
8/6/14 Linden Hill Rd x Polly Drummond Hill Rd, Newark, DE (39d43’02.45” x 75d42’39.35”)
6/11/14 Near Stafford Avenue Park, Newark, DE (39d41’13.43” x 75d43’56.14”)
#26: Male Chick Tagged 6/13/13
9/25/13 New Linden Hill Rd x Boyds Valley Dr, Newark, DE (39d43’15.35” x 75d42’20.10”)
1/12/14 Bridlebrook Lane (?), Newark, DE (39d42’11.99” x 75d46’37.32”)
2/12/16 Woodland Trails, Newark, DE (39d38’52.00” x 75d54’30.00”)
3/3/16 Near Frightland, Middletown,DE (39d31’29.00” x 75d38’55.00”)
#267: Male Chick Tagged 6/13/13
9/25/13 New Linden Hill Rd x Boyds Valley Dr,Newark, DE (39d43’15.35” x 75d42’20.10”)
If you spot any vultures of any species with wing tags anywhere, please report your sighting in the comment section below. In addition, please submit information about US and Canadian sightings to the Bird Banding Laboratory. Include the date and location of the sighting, tag number, species, and any other pertinent information. In return, the Laboratory will tell you where, when, and by whom the birds were tagged. Reports can be submitted to BBL online at http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/
Spotted a black vulture with a green wing tag number 243 in New Ellenton, SC on Saturday May 30, 2015. Would love to know where it came from and any other information.
Tag APT, spotted on 5/30/15 at boat ramp #8,Canyon Springs Resort (westwindboatandrvstorage.com is best site to see where boat ramps are), Canyon Lake, TX with a flock that were eating a dead dear.
Black Vulture #215 Yellow tag, spotted on Wisteria Dr, Malvern, PA
(About two miles North of the Paoli Train station) at
10 AM on May 15th, 2015
We have a flock of BV’s & TV’s visit us almost every AM
Ben Wortham reported seeing Black vulture with a yellow tag AVL near Wimberley Texas near the Comal, Hays line. We would greatly appreciate receiving further details on this observation as we were collaborators and banding permittee for the project with graduate student Lauren Pharr and are also following the movements of these birds for our own research. Information can be sent to John.S.Humphrey@aphis.usda.gov.
Tina Hall reported seeing one of the black vultures, ALA, we tagged in San Marcos TX in coordination with Lauren Phall’s PhD work. We would like to get the details and photos of this if still held. Please contact John Humphrey at John.S.Humphrey@aphis.usda.gov. We have tagged black and turkey vultures with pink, white, and yellow tags from Key West, to VA, to San Marcos TX. Unfortunately the white tags yellow over time, pink tags tend to turn orangeish, and all can look different with different lighting. It is only by getting the tag ID, location, and date seen that we are able to determine whether it is one of the many hundreds we’ve tagged since 1998. We appreciate receiving any and all data on these sightings which can be sent to the email address above. Also please post all tagged vulture sightings to the USGS Bird Banding Lab that maintains the central database for marked birds in North America and can pass these important sightings to the appropriate researcher for their research records.
Sharon Kearns reported seeing one of the black vultures, CLA, we tagged in Everglades National Park. We would like to get the details and photos of this if still held. Please contact John Humphrey at John.S.Humphrey@aphis.usda.gov
Wimberley Texas near the Comal, Hays line. Black vulture, yellow tag AVL.
My earlier report and photo should be tag # ATP instead of ATR
Black Vulture with wing tag on right wing (pale orange tag with black letters “ATR”). Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas, 04/28/2015. GPS coordinates: 30.1493, -98.0530
On April 27, 2015 I saw a turkey vulture eating a catfish in Stapleton, Georgia along Mennonite Church Rd. It had a green tag with numbers 286. at about 6:05 p.m.
Black Vulture found in Big Cypress National Preserve-Loop Rd.-East end- Mile 20 on 4/9/15.
JXW was with this group of vultures eating an alligator. Photo was taken in Big Cypress National Preserve-Loop Rd.- east end around mile 20 on 4/9/15
5 buzzards one with orange wing tag #210 sighted hanging around in crozier virginia thursday and friday march 20th 2015
If anyone else has seen a vulture with a pink tag (the tag might now be orange or yellow because of fading) please let me know. I worry about the tagged vultures everyday so your kindness in reporting a tagged vulture will be greatly appreciated. The tagging project was conducted as part of my PhD research at Louisiana State University and was funded by the National Science Foundation.
I spent 10 months trapping the vulture, 10 days housing and caring for the vultures, and then I tagged and released the vultures in San Marcos, TX on April 10, 2013. As a result, the vultures I tagged are very dear to me.
My research has revealed that vultures need all the friends they can get so thank you for showing an interest in these marvelous creatures.
Sincerely,
Lauren Pharr
Lpharr1@tigers.lsu.edu
Photo shows me releasing Bubba Bird
Dear Tina Hall:
My name is Lauren Pharr, and I am a PhD candidate at Louisiana State University. I tagged and released the black vulture in your photo on April 10, 2013. The vulture was trapped and released from San Marcos, TX. The project was funded by the National Science Foundation for the purpose of investigating vulture scavenging behavior.
Fifty-two vultures were tagged and six were fitted with GPS transmitters as part of my dissertation research. However, few people have reported seeing the vultures since their release.
Moreover, the hourly GPS tracking data reveal that Texas vultures behave in a manner unique from other published reports so I would love to learn more about your observations of ALA.
Please contact me at your earliest convenience. My email address is Lpharr1@tigers.lsu.edu.
27.755813
-82.071090
Green tag with black numbers “290”
Healthy individual feeding on someone’s discarded potato chips.
Great picture, Karl! Thanks to you and Dan and Jon for your posts!
Vulture in eastern Burke County, Georgia very near the river. Wing tag #246, green with white numbers. Looks to be in good shape and hanging out with a pretty large group. Would like to know his story. Will try to post picture later.
I live in Crofton, MD. Since late Fall, a group of roosting black vultures has grown from about 20 to over 50. They are in the trees and on the roof tops, and on the ground occasionally. I realize they are legally protected as a migratory species. Most look to be juveniles but there are several very big ones. Another has an orange tag on the left wing just like the ones pictured on your website, number “227″ – anybody looking for black vulture number 227? Yeah, they are so close I can read the blasted tag number! Come and get it please.
Black vulture, green tag I88 or 188, Grovetown, GA, 12-29-2014. I would love to know more about my new bird friend. Thanks!
Thanks to all for the posts! They are very helpful to the taggers doing research. The more detail about the location of the sighting, the better, even latitude and longitude if possible. Thanks again!
Black Vulture, yellow right wing tag. Dallas, PA. Monday 12/15/2014, 7:45 am with about a dozen others. Have fuzzy pic, tag number not seen or noted.
We have hundreds of buzzards that hang out on our property so we didn’t think anything of it when another one showed up a couple months ago until we noticed an orange tag on it’s left wing with ALA on it, he spends most of his days looking through the windows into the house .
Bravos River Waco,Texas
black vulture with tag EAJ, Everglades National Park, Flamingo campgrounds. march 12 2014.
On November 17, 2014 we saw a Turkey Vulture eating a carcass in Hialeah FL. At west 53rd Street, between 8th and 9th Ave. Red tag with letters EAV. About 10AM