Black Vultures also like Tacos and Burritos

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Story

Black vultures have to be one of the scariest birds I have ever seen. They are usually in groups much larger than the one shown in this picture feeding at a garbage dumpster behind a local Tampa Restaurant called Moe's. If you just drive by or walk by the birds, they don't notice you. But, if you approach them as I did with the camera they start flying one by one in a chain reaction as if the nervousness spread. Some of these nervous birds were even regurgitating (reflux of food out from their beaks) their food from the dumpster. Turns out, the regurgitation seems to be a behavior that both scares would be predators, and makes them lighter for a faster take-off and flight. A good article on black vultures can be found at Wikipedia.

Date of sighting

12 Oct 2006

Location

Moe's Southwestern Grill, Bruce B. Downs, Tampa, Florida
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)

Species

Coragyps atratus