How hunters and members of waterfowl organizations can submit comments on Pennsylvania’s 2026-2027 proposed migratory game bird seasons
By Steven Brodsky
… is the subject of this Pennsylvania Game Commission news release that was issued on March 6, 2026:
COMMENTS ON PROPOSED WATERFOWL SEASONS ACCEPTED
Hunters and members of waterfowl organizations have several options to ask questions and voice opinions on the 2026-27 proposed migratory game bird seasons.
Questions or comments can be submitted by email to waterfowlcomments@pa.gov, or by mail to Pennsylvania Game Commission, Bureau of Wildlife Management, 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797.
An informational livestream, followed by a live question-and-answer session, will be held on the proposed seasons on Wednesday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. on the Game Commission’s YouTube channel. The briefing will be recorded, and a link will be available to view at https://www.youtube.com/pagamecommission.
And a Waterfowl Open House is scheduled to take place at the Game Commission’s Northeast Regional Office, 3917 Memorial Hwy, Dallas, PA 18612 on Saturday, March 14 from noon to 4 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with Game Commission staff and view proposed seasons presented.
It still hasn’t been determined whether Sundays will be included in the 2026-27 migratory game bird seasons. Because migratory seasons follow federal frameworks that establish the maximum number of hunting days for each season, including Sundays would create more-compact seasons. The Game Commission is conducting a random survey to find out more about which option waterfowl hunters prefer, and all who are interested in this matter can submit comments to the agency. If Sundays are included in the migratory game bird seasons, they cannot be closed in the future.
The season proposal document that’s posted on the Game Commission’s website shows two proposed season structures, one with Sundays and one without. Both proposals follow the federal framework. These proposed migratory seasons are in accordance with the preliminarily approved 2026-27 general hunting seasons that, if adopted, would allow small game hunting during regular firearms deer season, meaning woodcock and snipe hunting would be open then.
Another notable proposal for 2026-27 seasons would increase the Atlantic Population Canada goose regular season to 45 days, with a daily bag limit of 3. This change to the framework would take effect once published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Additionally, the regular snow goose season is proposed to run from November through March 10, with the light goose conservation order not utilized unless 2026 spring snow goose surveys indicate its necessity. This recommendation to drastically reduce or forgo the conservation order will be followed by all high-harvest states within the Atlantic Flyway due to 2025 spring snow goose surveys indicating populations are below the target range.
If you have questions or are interested in commenting on proposed seasons, please provide the species, zone (if applicable) and County/Counties you are specifically commenting on. The comment period closes March 22.
Posted 3-9-26
Romanticized notions about nature
By Steven Brodsky
… pass away for the speaker of Seamus Heaney’s poem “Death of a Naturalist.”
Many “naturalists” have had a similar experience.
And most would, with sufficient exposure to realities of the natural world.
May we all acquire and retain a sense of wonder in regard to the natural world.
Posted 3-3-26
Avian influenza viruses circulating in wild birds across Pennsylvania
By Steven Brodsky
Photo by Steven Brodsky
… are the subject of this news release that was issued today, February 23, 2026, by the Pennsylvania Game Commission:
GAME COMMISSION MONITORING AVIAN INFLUENZA IN WILD BIRDS
This winter, avian influenza viruses have continued to circulate in wild birds across Pennsylvania, and more birds will be migrating to and through the state in the coming weeks. Strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus have been present in Pennsylvania’s wild birds since early 2022.
As migration unfolds, the Pennsylvania Game Commission continues to respond to the outbreak, and is asking the public to report any wild birds observed sick or found dead.
Reports can be phoned in to 1-833-PGC-WILD (1-833-742-9453). Submitting reports allows the Game Commission the opportunity to step in with wildlife-management actions including dispatching sick wild birds, recovering and removing carcasses, pursuing diagnostic testing, and conducting stakeholder outreach. The agency continues to work with the Wildlife Futures Program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other partners when deploying these strategies. The most substantial activity this winter involved the removal of an estimated 2,000 wild bird carcasses, predominantly snow geese, from a quarry in Northampton County in December and January.
“Over the past five years, Game Commission dispatchers and field personnel, along with our dedicated partners, have worked tirelessly to respond to and investigate suspected highly pathogenic avian influenza events across the Commonwealth,” said the agency’s wildlife veterinarian, Dr. Andrew Di Salvo. “Responding to every report received from the public is neither logistically possible nor in the best interest of the wildlife, so incidents are prioritized to ensure our actions will have the most impact. High-priority incidents include cases with clear human or domestic animal exposure, a public site, such as a park or playground, that could pose an exposure risk to humans or domestic animals, or a large number of sick or dead wildlife on the landscape that could pose an exposure risk to scavenging wildlife.”
Waterfowl – from wood ducks and pintails to snow geese and tundra swans – have been bottled up farther south by cold weather and frozen conditions here. Timing is important for these and other birds returning to their breeding grounds because arriving late means delayed nesting. But they also can’t make the demanding journey if food and resting areas along their route are too hard to come by, as happens when conditions are harsh. As Pennsylvania continues to thaw out, though, migrating birds will begin showing up.
Snow geese often come to mind when talking about migration because they flock in large numbers and attract much attention when they come through Pennsylvania on their way to the Arctic. The Game Commission’s Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, on the border of Lebanon and Lancaster counties, is a key stop for migrating snow geese, in some years hosting more than 100,000 of them. Snow geese have just begun showing up at Middle Creek, and more will follow.
Wild birds are natural carriers of avian influenza viruses and bird migration enables the disease to be spread over vast distances. The disease also can be spread by legal and illegal movement of infected birds, poultry products, contaminated materials, equipment and vehicles if appropriate biosecurity precautions are not taken.
Aside from waterfowl and shorebirds, avian influenza viruses can significantly impact wild poultry such as turkeys and grouse, raptors such as hawks and eagles, and other avian scavengers, such as crows and ravens. Birds infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza can exhibit neurologic signs, such as swimming or walking in circles, tilting their heads in an unnatural position, tremoring, seizing or having difficulty flying.
Infected birds shed the virus in their feces and saliva, and the disease can impact other mammals, including humans. The public should avoid contacting wild birds or their feces. The Game Commission does not advise that the public handle any abnormal, injured, sick or dead wildlife unless authorized to do so.
Waterfowl and upland bird hunters are encouraged to continue participating in open seasons, but should take precautions while handling and dressing birds. These include wearing nitrile gloves, protective eye wear, and a mask. Following any hunt, make it a point to practice good hygiene, including washing hands and any clothing used in the process of dressing game that may contain blood or feces. Also never handle wildlife that is sick or displaying signs of sickness. Instead, report it to the Game Commission. Hunting dogs can also be protected from the virus by preventing them from contracting or consuming wild bird feces or environmental water that may contain bird feces, and preventing them from contacting sick or found dead wild birds (i.e., non-harvested).
Good hygiene is also recommended in maintaining backyard birdfeeders. While avian influenza typically does not affect bird species that frequent birdfeeders – and there’s no prohibition on feeding birds during the outbreak – birdfeeders and bird baths should be emptied every couple of weeks, washed with soapy water, rinsed, then disinfected with a 10% household bleach solution before refilling (either allow a 10-minute contact time before rinsing or allow to air dry). Any spilled seed should also be cleaned up to mitigate disease spread.
If noticing multiple sick or dead birds over a short period of time, taking feeders down and emptying bird baths helps ensure a potential outbreak is not made worse.
Pennsylvanians who raise captive wild birds, domestic backyard poultry, or are involved in commercial poultry operations, meanwhile, should review their biosecurity plans to protect their flocks. The USDA offers free biosecurity information on its website.
Any sick or dead domestic birds should be reported to Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture at 717-772-2852. If you have had contact with sick or dead birds and are not feeling well, contact your primary care physician or the Pennsylvania Department of Health at 877-724-3258.
And everyone should always observe wildlife from a safe distance, avoid contacting surfaces that may be contaminated with feces from wild or domestic birds, and refrain from handling wildlife unless you are hunting, trapping, or otherwise authorized to do so.
More information about avian influenza is available through the Game Commission’s website.
Posted 2-23-26
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) has begun stocking 3.2 million adult trout ahead of Pennsylvania’s 2026 spring fishing season
By Steven Brodsky
… Video footage from today’s trout stocking at Opossum Lake, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania:
From a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) news release:
February 17, 2026
PFBC Begins Annual Trout Stocking Operations Ahead of Spring Fishing Season
If you love trout fishing, there was a sure sign of spring today, as annual trout stocking operations got underway ahead of Pennsylvania’s spring trout season! Opossum Lake in Cumberland County received the first stocking of the year, which included cutting a hole into the ice with a chainsaw. This year, the Fish and Boat Commission, with the help of volunteers, will stock 3.2 million trout into 684 streams and 130 lakes. Trout stocking occurs in all 67 counties.
The most common species being stocked is Rainbow Trout, but anglers will also have the chance to catch Brown Trout, Brook Trout, and golden Rainbow Trout.
All waters managed as Stocked Trout Waters are now closed until 8 a.m. on the Opening Day of Trout Season on Saturday, April 4, with the exception of Mentored Youth Trout Day on Saturday, March 28th.
For the 2026 trout stocking schedule, regulations, and more information on trout fishing, visit Fishandboat.com.
Posted 2-17-26
A perennial truth about the Bible
By Steven Brodsky
Photo by Steven Brodsky
… is stated in Isaiah 40:8: “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
Posted 2-11-26
Congratulations to the 24 graduates from the 37th Class of the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Ross Leffler School of Conservation
By Steven Brodsky
… Graduation was on January 31, 2026.
The graduates completed 44 weeks of intensive training, including 10 weeks of field training. They are now working as Pennsylvania State Game Wardens in their newly assigned districts.
From a February 9, 2026 Pennsylvania Game Commission news release about the 37th Class of the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Ross Leffler School of Conservation:
“Every one of these graduates is embarking on a demanding journey and the beginning of a lifelong commitment to service, conservation and duty,” said Col. Richard Danley, Director of the Game Commission’s Bureau of Wildlife Protection. “Becoming a Pennsylvania Game Warden is a calling to protect wildlife and to serve the people of Pennsylvania, even when the work is unseen, difficult, or dangerous.”
Training School Director Kyle Jury praised graduates for their dedication and demonstrated commitment to our natural resources.
“These 24 new graduates now embark on their careers as State Game Wardens by serving in geographical districts across the Commonwealth,” Jury said. “By pursuing this career path, they fulfill an instrumental part of the agency’s continued and dedicated effort to wildlife conservation. Having these individuals join the ranks of game wardens will strengthen the agency’s efforts to safeguard the hunting heritage the Game Commission was founded on so that it can be passed on to future generations.”
In 1930, Ross Leffler, then president of the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners, proposed the establishment of a training school for game protectors, as game wardens then were called. When the training school opened its doors in 1932, in Brockway, Jefferson County, it was the first such conservation officer training school in the world and served as a model for other states.
From 1932 until 1935, the Ross Leffler School of Conservation offered in-service training for game protectors. The school became a permanent facility until 1986, when it was moved to the agency’s Harrisburg headquarters.
Posted 2-11-26
If you love birds
By Steven Brodsky
… you’ll probably very much enjoy the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s “Best Bird Cams Highlights of 2025” video.
Entertainment, Culture and More readers will find themselves saying “ooh” as they watch the 4:59 video from the comfort of their nests (homes).
Nests are featured in a 12-line poem that you can read at: Choices | The Poetry Foundation.
Posted 1-19-26
The Pennsylvania Game Commission asks the public to report locations of sightings of wild turkey flocks in Pennsylvania to them via the Game Commission’s online Turkey Sighting Survey form; this survey period is December 31, 2025 – March 15, 2026
By Steven Brodsky
The Pennsylvania Game Commission issued this news release on January 6, 2026:
REPORT WILD TURKEY FLOCKS THROUGH MACH 15
The Game Commission is asking for the public’s help finding turkey flocks for ongoing research.
Pennsylvanians are encouraged to report the location of any turkey flocks they see across the state. Information is being collected online at https://pgcforms.pa.gov/TurkeySightingSurvey now through March 15.
Among other things, visitors to that webpage are asked to provide the date of the sighting, the location and the type of land (public, private or unknown) where birds are seen.
Game Commission crews will assess sites for the potential to trap turkeys. Just like the last six winters, the Game Commission will put leg bands on male turkeys statewide. Turkeys will not be moved; they’ll simply be leg-banded and released on site.
Trapping turkeys during winter is part of the Game Commission’s ongoing population monitoring.
Hunters who harvest these banded turkeys, or people who find one dead, are asked to report the band number, either by calling toll-free or reporting it online.
“By reporting banded turkeys, hunters provide us with important information on harvest rates for our population model,” said Reina Tyl, the Game Commission’s wild turkey biologist. “In return, the hunter gets to learn when and approximately where the turkey was banded. If the turkey was banded the first winter after it hatched, we can also provide the hunter with an exact age of the turkey they harvested.”
While no turkeys will be fitted with transmitters this winter, as the research projects that were tracking turkeys to get an in-depth look into their survival, productivity and movement are coming to an end, males will continue to be banded in the winter to monitor harvest rates.
Finding birds to trap is key to accomplishing the work. That’s where the public comes in. Fortunately, Pennsylvanians have a history of helping in this way.
Tyl said participation in the Winter Turkey Sighting Survey has been extremely useful for locating trappable flocks over the past four winters.
“The public has been so helpful. Some landowners who reported flocks on their property have also helped with monitoring flock activity and have participated in trapping,” Tyl said. “We look forward to continuing this collaboration this winter.”
Posted 1-8-26
Did you know that King Solomon was extraordinarily knowledgeable about the natural world?
By Steven Brodsky6
… He was and his knowledge was renowned, as revealed in 1 Kings 4:29-34.
You’ll find those Bible verses on this page: 1 Kings 4 (KJV) – So king Solomon was king.
Photo by Steven Brodsky
Posted 1-6-26
The 95th running of the Radnor Run Races that will take place on May 16, 2025 will be the final year for the Brandywine Conservancy to be the sole operator and sole beneficiary of the Radnor Hunt Races event
By Steven Brodsky
… as was announced today in this news release from the Brandywine Conservancy:
Chadds Ford, PA, December 3, 2025 — The Brandywine Conservancy announced today that the 95th running of the Radnor Hunt Races, taking place on May 16, 2026, will mark the organization’s final year as the sole operator and beneficiary of this event, which the Brandywine has led for the past 45 years. The Brandywine is committed to working closely with the leadership of the Radnor Hunt to help them identify a new operator and work on a transition plan to ensure that the Races continue to thrive for decades to come.
“The Radnor Hunt Races have been a beloved springtime tradition on the Main Line for nearly a century—long before the Brandywine became the sole operator and beneficiary of the Races in 1980—and one that we hope will continue long after Brandywine’s involvement,” said Virginia Logan, the Frolic Weymouth Executive Director & C.E.O. of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art. “For the last 45 years, the Brandywine has been proud to play a leadership role in this storied event, which has benefited the Conservancy’s open space and clean water initiatives. With the centennial running of the Races approaching in a few years, it is now time for the Brandywine to pass the baton on to a new operator to continue the tradition of the Radnor Hunt Races into the event’s next century. While the 95th anniversary of the Races will mark the Brandywine’s final operation of the event in May 2026, we remain proud of the role we have played in stewarding this event for more than four decades and the lasting legacy of ‘Racing for Open Space’ that we will carry forward. We are deeply grateful for the leadership team and all members of the Radnor Hunt, the National Steeplechase Association, our committee members, sponsors, partners, race staff and officials, volunteers, thoroughbred owners and trainers, jockeys, and spectators who have supported this event over the years. We look to make our last year operating the Races the best one yet, and we hope to see this event continue to grow in its next chapter.”
Built on a rich history of horse racing that has been cultivated in this region for nearly 100 years, the Radnor Hunt Races have been supported by the legacy of protecting the stunning open spaces that make this region such a beautiful place to call home. With the help of the Races and many likeminded partners, the Conservancy has protected over 70,700 acres of open space to date—including the Radnor Hunt racecourse itself and surrounding lands—and continues to improve and safeguard water quality, land protection, outdoor recreation and historic preservation in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware.
“We were saddened to learn that 2026 will be the last year with Brandywine Conservancy as operator and sole beneficiary of the Radnor Hunt Races, and it will be our honor to partner with them for their 45th and final year,” said Jodi Spragins, Radnor Hunt President. “We recognize that this was a challenging decision, and we want to express our profound gratitude for the incredible effort Brandywine has dedicated to nurturing the Radnor Hunt Races into the prestigious event it is today. Our two organizations share a strong partnership and a mutual passion for the role of equestrian sport in land conservation. In light of this transition, Radnor Hunt leadership will begin exploring ways to reimagine and continue this historic springtime event.”
“The Brandywine Conservancy has been proud to play a leading role in the Radnor Hunt Races for the past 45 years of the event’s nearly 100-year history, and we look forward to making this last year our best one yet,” said George Strawbridge Jr., chair of the Radnor Hunt Races committee. “On behalf of the Radnor Hunt Races committee, we wish the event continued success in its next chapter and remain committed to working with the Radnor Hunt leadership team over this next year to help provide a smooth transition to the successor of the Races.”
The Radnor Hunt Races are traditionally held annually on the third Saturday of May each year. With nearly 18 months of advanced notice prior to the 96th running of the Races in 2027, the Brandywine is hopeful that there will be ample time for the leadership of the Radnor Hunt to identify an alternative operator. Brandywine remains committed to helping the Radnor Hunt and any new operator for the event with a successful transition plan. Those interested in taking over the operation of the Races can contact the Radnor Hunt directly at gm@radnorhunt.org.
Planning efforts for the 95th running of the Radnor Hunt Races are underway, with corporate sponsorship and advertising opportunities now available. Held on May 16, 2026, this year’s event will celebrate both the remarkable history of the Races and Brandywine’s 45 years of partnership. Tickets will go on sale beginning March 3, 2026, with proceeds benefiting the Brandywine Conservancy. To date, the event has raised more than $5.5 million to date for the Conservancy’s open space and clean water initiatives. In addition to the jump races sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association, special events throughout the day will include the annual Katherine W. Illoway Invitational Sidesaddle Race, pony races, a spectacular antique carriage parade, and the much-loved parade of foxhounds. Those interested in learning more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities can visit www.radnorhuntraces.org, or contact the Brandywine at radnorhuntraces@brandywine.org or 610.388.8104.
About the Brandywine Conservancy:
The Brandywine Conservancy protects water, conserves land, and engages communities. The Conservancy uses a multi-faceted approach to conservation. Staff work with private landowners who wish to see their lands protected forever and provide innovative community planning services to municipalities and other governmental agencies. The Conservancy currently holds more than 510 conservation and agricultural easements and has facilitated the permanent preservation of over 70,700 acres of land. The Conservancy is a program of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art.
About the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art:
The Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art preserves and promotes the natural and cultural connections between the area’s beautiful landscape, historic sites, and important artists. The Conservancy protects the lands and waters throughout the Brandywine Valley and other priority conservation areas, developing sustainable approaches to emerging needs and assuring preservation of majestic open spaces and protection of natural resources for generations to come. The Museum of Art presents and collects historic and contemporary works of American art, engaging and exciting visitors of all ages through an array of exhibitions and programs. The Brandywine unites the inspiring experiences of art and nature, enhancing the quality of life in its community and among its diverse audiences.
Posted 12-3-25
The phrase ‘oaks of righteousness’
By Steven Brodsky
A spectacular oak tree
Photo by Steven Brodsky
… might come to mind when seeing oak trees in the great outdoors.
The phrase is from Isaiah 61:3.
You’ll find Isaiah 61:3 at: https://biblehub.com/nasb/isaiah/61.htm.
https://www.gotquestions.org/imputed-righteousness.html
Posted 8-31-25
Day and night in the great outdoors
By Steven Brodsky
… readers of this column can look at the sky and be reminded of this Bible verse: https://biblehub.com/daniel/12-3.htm.
Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”
Why does Christ’s righteousness need to be imputed to us? | GotQuestions.org
The Bible and spending time in the great outdoors, perfect together.
Posted 6-15-25
A Conversation With Katie Fallon, Author of ‘Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird’
By Steven Brodsky
Katie Fallon is a co-founder of the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia. She’s worked with many species of raptors and other kinds of birds. Katie’s books include Cerulean Blues (2011) and the recently released Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird. Her essays have appeared in a number of literary journals. She has a lifelong love of nature. I’ve heard that the first word she ever spoke was “bird.”
Your new book gives vultures, particularly turkey vultures, the positive attention these non-predator raptors deserve. What brought about your interest in these maligned birds?
I’ve been fascinated by vultures for at least fifteen years. There was a roost near where I lived in West Virginia; every day I’d drive by this big, old dead tree with ten or so turkey vultures hunched in it. They became a familiar sight, and I looked forward to seeing them. Vultures are big and kind of dramatic, and in flight, there’s nothing more beautiful. In addition, they’re the ultimate recyclers—they turn death into life.
Many people in the U.S. have an aversion to vultures. Speak about this.
I think vultures remind people of their own mortality. It can be a little creepy to think about a large, dark bird waiting to consume your body when you die. In general, I don’t think people in the US are comfortable with thinking of our bodies as food. Vultures remind us that life will continue after we die, and that some life will continue because we die. They remind us of our animal bodies. Which can be unnerving!
In the absence of vultures, we’d have major health issues to contend with. Tell us why.
Vultures clean up our ecosystems by removing animal carcasses that could potentially contaminate soil and water. They can eat animals that have died of anthrax and botulism. In the absence of vultures, mammalian scavengers could increase in number, and many mammalian scavengers such as raccoons, skunks, feral dogs and cats can spread rabies; vultures do not. Several vulture species in India have suffered catastrophic population crashes in the last twenty years, and public health has suffered. India leads the world in human rabies cases, and the number of cases has increased as the number of feral dogs increased in the absence of vultures.
People get close to vultures by attending your presentations that feature non-releasable birds. How are these birds acquired? How are they trained?
The nonprofit I co-founded, the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia, keeps eight non-releasable raptors for educational purposes (you need permits from the US Fish & Wildlife Service to do this, of course – the birds aren’t pets or personal property). All of our birds were injured wild birds that cannot return to the wild. We have three vultures. Lew the turkey vulture was hit by a car and suffered an injury to his shoulder that prevents flight. His “girlfriend,” Boris, was shot in the wing, and by the time she reached us the bone had already healed incorrectly. Our black vulture is Maverick, and he was hit by a car, which resulted in a shoulder injury that prevents adequate flight.
Our birds are all trained using positive reinforcement. We avoid negative reinforcement and punishment, and we try to empower the birds to have some control over their environments. We condition behaviors by offering food rewards when the birds perform the behaviors. Vultures (especially our black vulture!) learn quickly, and they are a lot of fun to work with.
What myths and misunderstandings about vultures do these presentations help to dispel?
People are surprised at how clean and charismatic the vultures are – and how beautiful they are up close, despite their featherless heads.
What vulture behaviors do people find to be most interesting?
People often ask if vultures throw up on us; our education vultures usually don’t (unless they get scared). Vultures also expel liquid waste on their legs and feet, probably to clean them as well as to keep cool. This often fascinates people as well.
Which species of vulture are found in Pennsylvania and neighboring states?
We have turkey vultures and black vultures. During the last Ice Age we may have had California condors, too, and possibly some other now-extinct vultures.
What has been learned about migration of these species?
Hawk Mountain has taken the lead on turkey vulture migration research. Dr. Keith Bildstein and his team have placed transmitters and wing tags on turkey vultures all over the Americas. They’ve learned that our eastern turkey vultures are partial migrants—some spend the winters in Florida, some on the New Jersey shore, some in Virginia, and in many places in between. Many western turkey vultures are complete migrants, leaving their breeding ranges in Canada and heading all the way to South America. And still others in the American southwest migrate into Central America and return. It’s fascinating how the different subspecies have different migratory strategies. Dr. Bildstein and his colleagues have ongoing research projects about turkey vulture migration, and are discovering more all the time.
Vultures have spectacular flying ability. What makes this possible?
Turkey vultures are very light – they have almost the same wingspan as a bald eagle but weigh less than half what an eagle weighs. Their wings are long and broad, and are made for soaring.
How high can they fly?
The Ruppell’s vulture holds the record for the highest-flying bird. Unfortunately for that individual, it was hit and killed by a jet flying over Africa at 37,000 feet.
Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird informs readers about lead toxicity in vultures. What is the extent of the problem? How do vultures ingest lead?
Vultures (and eagles, hawks, crows, ravens, and owls) can ingest small pieces of spent lead ammunition in animal carcasses or “gut piles” left by hunters. When someone shoots a white-tailed deer, for example, the deer is usually field-dressed, and many of the organs are left. This can be a delight for vultures and other scavengers! In ecosystems, scavengers often follow the big predators to clean up the leftovers; here, the same thing is happening—a human is the big predator, a gut pile is the leftover, and a vulture or eagle is the scavenger. However, if small lead fragments are still in the gut piles, avian scavengers can inadvertently ingest the lead and become sick. Lead toxicity from spent ammunition is the biggest obstacle in the way of California condor recovery.
The Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia provides rehabilitation for injured birds. What kind of care do vultures receive?
We’ve treated vultures with a wide variety of injuries and ailments—broken bones, head trauma, lead toxicity, soft tissue injuries. Every bird we admit receives an immediate comprehensive examination by an avian veterinarian, and is then treated as necessary with antibiotics, antifungals, anti-inflammatories, fluid therapy, or chelation therapy. They also receive orthopedic surgery if necessary. We do our best to get the birds back out in the wild if possible.
It must be very joyful to enable an injured bird to regain flight ability. Please tell us about a memorable release.
Two and a half years ago we released a female turkey vulture that had been shot with a shotgun—she had three pellets embedded in soft tissue. We had to leave the pellets in her body because removing them would cause damage. Once she was nursed back to health, we released her wearing a transmitter to track her movements. We learned that she travels to northern Georgia in the winters and comes back to West Virginia in the breeding season. We are thrilled that this vulture was able to return to the wild—and thrive!
Vulture watching is growing in popularity. Turkey vultures are very widespread. Where are some of the best places and times to observe them?
In many parts of the southeastern United States, you can see turkey vultures any day of the year in a variety of habitats. In the winter, vultures can be observed roosting together in and near many cities: in Virginia, check out Leesburg, Staunton, Radford, Pulaski, and Charlottesville; in West Virginia, many vultures can be observed migrating in the fall over Hanging Rock Tower in Monroe County and over Harper’s Ferry in the eastern panhandle. During the summer and fall, the overlook at Cooper’s Rock State Forest near Morgantown, WV, is a sure place to see turkey vultures. Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania, of course, is an excellent place to watch turkey vultures and birds of prey during migration, especially in September and October.
What stimulated your interest in nature?
I’ve always been an outdoors person. I grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania, and I had horses as a kid. I spent a great deal of time with my horses, trail riding and competing, and when I got a bit older I often went hiking and camping with friends and family. One of my favorite childhood hiking spots was Ricketts Glen State Park—it’s filled with hemlock trees and many gorgeous waterfalls. It’s definitely worth checking out if you visit northeastern PA.
Was “bird” your first word?
Yes! My parents had bird feeders in their yard when I was a baby (well, they still do) and my mother says she used to hold me in front of the window to show me the birds at the feeder. One day, she said, “Look at the birds! Look at the birds outside.” And I nodded and said, “Bird.” I haven’t stopped talking about them since.
Katie Fallon’s website address is: www.katiefallon.com.
Posted 4-6-17, Reposted 10-29-19