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/
Black vulture tagged 274 was seen on May 20, 2017 at 0945 in Harwood, MD at the intersection of Polling House Road and Cobalt Drive.
250 was spotted on rt 100 and Hamilton Blvd by cross creek by the side of the highway
Thanks everyone for reporting sightings. I am especially interested in the BLVU tagged in DE.
Watching the Tri-State sponsored cam, seeing the adults court, build a nest, mate, lay eggs, pip, hatch, first feeding, first hops, tagging event and up to fledge. The entire process take about 4 months total. After fledge they stay with adults and are fed for another 8 months. Then the new season starts again.
Wanted to let you all know these sightings contribute to research and
documenting of their progress! It’s also exciting to see them alive and well. Thanks so much.
Hi Paul,
Was tagged #26 black or brown?
BLVU are black vultures. TV are brown vultures with red heads.
If this was tagged #26 BLVU he is a tagged male, born 4/11/2013 named Stephen Colbert.
nicknamed Stevie.
Wonderful you sighting him. He left the area and was in PA about 23 miles away and now he is back in the nest area. He also had visited the Frightland area in Middletown also.
He is photographed below at the Waterworks in PA.
Thanks so much!
Hi Deb,
Tagged bv #247 is a male blvu affectionately named Sara.
He was born 4/12/2016.
He was a suspected male but he was named after someone.
Besides, what is more cute than a blvu male named Sara or Ethyl.
Thank You so much!
Hi Jennifer,
Tagged #56 is female, affectionately known as Remy.
She hatched 4/11/2016. Her brother Sara hatched 4/12/2016 is tagged #247 has been seen in MD also, reading other comments.
Yes Sara is a male, there is a male tagged Ethyl also!
Thanks so much for the photo! Fantastic.
#56 was visiting in my yard in Conowingo, MD. It was spending time with another vulture that had a broken wing that I had been feeding for over a week. He’s since disappeared 🙁
Saw turkey vulture with tag number 26 on 5/10/17. He was sighted where Arlington Rd. Meets Polly Drummond Hill Rd. in Newark,DE. He was eating roadkill on the side of Polly Drummond Hill Rd.
Thanks, JS.
I do not know who would use red wing tag, but if you report your sighting to the Bird Banding Lab (online address above), they should be able to tell you.
May 2 2017 Central coast of Oregon. I just saw a black vulture with a red wing tag marked EY. anyone know what that means?
I found #247 today on Stafford Road, Darlington, MD along Deer Creek. I tried to enter it on the http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/ above but after filling in the form and clicking the Send to BBL button it responded with URL not found.
Thanks StombaughNed, Lee, and Kate. I’m guessing these were all yellow tags attached by Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Great to have your help tracking their movements!
Black vulture 258 hanging out in the wolf exhibit of Elmwood Park zoo today. Norristown, PA
March 2017, black turkey buzzard sighted near Ormrod (Whitehall) Pennsylvania. Believe it was a female. #254
Black vulture with yellow tag #258 near Coatesville, PA 19320 on March 4.
Thanks to all for the recent vulture sightings. Every tag uniquely identifies a bird using combinations of colors, numbers, and on which wing the tag is placed. Yellow tags in Delaware were probably attached by Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. If you report the sighting at the USGS website (http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/ ; see instructions above), the information will get to whomever did the tagging. You may also find out who that was. Thanks again!!
Seen a black vulture today 2-19 -17 sugarloaf pa.18249 yellow tag on right wing #265 and it looked like a transmitter on middle of back between wings
I just had a group of six black vultures on my deck in Warren County VA.,
And one was tagged 298. Would it have to be the same one? Or are different birds tagged by different agencies and could have the same number?
Birds are back after the storm, and I was wrong. Saw the tag more easily today and it is definitely 246. took pic but it is only a flip phone so have to get a friend to put it on computer and will send it to you.
black vulture with flock in West Creek, Ocean County, NJ down the shore. tag number 248 I am pretty sure but will check if he is here tomorrow and try to get a picture. He has been with them the past 3 days.
There has been a flock of black vultures around West Creek, NJ in Southern Ocean County. Seems like the numbers get bigger each year. But this is the first I saw one with a yellow tag. I believe the number is 248, but will try to get a better look and a picture when I can. I have seen him with the others in my back field.
I saw a buzzard with a orange/red tag in wimberley Texas on 12/18 could not get a picture
saw a group of 8 black vultures feeding on a roadkilled animal. one of the birds had a yellow tag in it’s right wing. # 261. sighting was on 12/10/16 at 500 corporate drive reading pa 19605.
Mike, fantastic photo! There is a shed in Newark,DE where a nesting pair of BLVU
take up residence to raise their young. If and when it occurs, we are so fortunate to watch a Live real time cam 24/7.
This last season. Two chicks were tagged. Stay tuned! The end of the year they get ready to get ready!
Thanks all for the info. I hope to add more here coming soon.
Tag 298