Date: 4/19/24 8:00 am From: PAUL ROBERTS <phawk254...> Subject: [Arlington Birds] Very Ill Black Vultures in Connecticut
Today's Boston Globe reported in a story by Ava Berger that on April 7th the Animal Control Officer in Watertown, CT, found a Black Vulture unable to stand up or fly. Several hours later she found a second one nearby. The birds, thought to be dying, were taken to a raptor rehab center where they're examined. Poisoning was first feared, followed by fears of avian flu. X-rays indicated they hadn't been shot. Christine Cummings, director of the rehab center, "A Place Called Hope," said the birds acted like they were drunk. It turns out they were. The birds had gotten into a dumpster filled with old meats and bar fruit from cocktail drinks. The birds helped themselves. "They were basically falling on their faces like they were drunk, going in circles, spinning, spreading their wings out, and flopping and flailing around,' Cummings said." They were given plenty of fluids that evening and awoke the next morning "upright and grunting." Cummings said they were definitely hungover, with one holding its head pretty low. They were fed a huge breakfast and held one more day before being released. I wonder what they told the other vultures when they got back to their roost? Best, Paul Paul M. Roberts Medford, MA <phawk254...>
