BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 22, 2024
Normally, I’d rhapsodize about all the beautiful songbirds that have kept us entertained for the last two months. Instead, I offer a 180-degree twist, with an ode to potentially the homeliest bird in Maine — the turkey vulture. Sure, it’s hard to love a bald bird with the dress and demeanor of a mortician. There’s actually a lot to love. Like all scavengers, vultures play an important role in nature, helping to limit the spread of disease. The first nesting turkey vultures in Maine weren’t discovered until 1982. They’ve been proliferating ever since. It’s not uncommon to see vultures standing next to an eagle, feasting over the same roadkill. However, a vulture on a nest might find itself in a vulnerable spot. In such cases, its chief defense is to vomit on the intruder. That’s usually a sufficient deterrent. ~ Bob Duchesne