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Buildings and Belongings

While vulture roosts, in and of themselves, are troublesome, the birds often leave the roosts and fly to nearby residential property where they perch on houses and other structures and mutilate property.

"People are reporting that vultures are tearing roof shingles," said Martin S. Lowney (USDA/Wildlife Services)."They also have reported vultures pulling at plastic, naugehyde, swimming pool covers, and seat covers."

"We had 1 house where the screen was completely torn out of the door," said Michael L. Avery (USDA/WS/National Wildlife Research Center). "This particular home is on a lake. The birds come over from the roost and land in the trees. When the people leave for work in the morning, they swoop in and do the damage."

At this time no one is sure why the birds find certain materials attractive for pecking and tearing. "One theory is that they're just killing time," Avery said. "They're hanging out, not really in a foraging mode because they're satisfied for the time being, so they start looking for something to do."

Avery said there was also speculation that attacks on housing and other materials are primarily by young birds that may be practicing feeding techniques by learning how to tear things apart. He feels that neither of the above ideas are very satisfying explanations and believes there may be an odor given off by the compounds that attracts the birds. He has submitted a wide range of vinyl, rubber and plastic materials to the analytical chemistry group at the National Wildlife Research Center for analysis of volatile compounds that might be stimulating the birds to peck and tear.

In addition to causing damage to homes, vultures also harm industrial facilities. In a presentation at the Eighteenth Vertebrate Pest Conference in 1998 in California, Edward R. Davis, a Wildlife Services employee in Bryan, Texas, discussed damage to petrochemical refineries along the gulf coast of Texas. Plant administrators there had become concerned with the large amounts of bird droppings (from both turkey and black vultures) at the plants and called Wildlife Services for help in dispersing the birds. Wildlife Services employees who responded to the calls reported an average of 200 birds per plant site. Accumulations of droppings and feathers on walkways, stairs, handrails and other work areas necessitated structure repairs. Employees hit by droppings while working, worried about possible health problems.