If you’ve recently been to Bird Hill, you may have noticed that the turkey vulture and black vulture are missing from their enclosures. Where did they go?
Turkey vultures are a migratory species. They breed throughout the United States and parts of Canada for the summer, then migrate to the Southeast, Central America, or South America for the winter. They are known to have nested in Massachusetts at least as early as 1945.
Black vultures are not typically associated with Massachusetts, rather they are historically found in the warmer climes of Central and South America. Since the 1970s, black vulture sightings in Massachusetts have increased significantly, and according to the recent Breeding Bird Atlas released by Mass Audubon, black vultures could be breeding in the southwestern area of the state. Black vultures are short-term migrators; they avoid severe weather, but return quickly once conditions improve.
Drumlin Farm’s vultures were brought indoors to the Wildlife Care Center, which is not open for general visitation, for the winter. Their indoor enclosures provide extra warmth with heat lamps to make sure the vultures are comfortable. They will return to their outdoor enclosures in the spring as the snow melts and temperatures become more tolerable.