‘Gotta get them in out of the cold and thaw them.’ Vultures rescued from ice storm.
While many Lexington residents were snug in their homes after Thursday night’s ice and snow storm, Lexington Animal Care & Control officers were out in the cold getting vomited on by vultures.
The officers rescued dozens of turkey vultures that had fallen from trees Friday because of ice on their wings that left them unable to fly. Some, said Sgt. Aaron Evans, of Lexington Animal Care & Control, were unable even to hop around.
Turkey vultures don’t preen their feathers like most birds do, which can cause their feathers to freeze up, she said.
“Unfortunately, they’re not the brightest of birds,” Evans said. “We’ve got to get them in out of the cold and thaw them.”
She said animal control officers were called Friday morning about multiple birds in the area of Heather Way and Zandale Drive that had gotten down from the trees and were unable to fly.
By 5:30 p.m., 35 buzzards had been rescued from the cold, and all but one had been released after warming up in the observation room, Evans said. She said officers were on their way back to the area to pick up more stranded birds.
“Every creature, we want to be ok,” Evans said.
But the vultures, which typically feed on carrion, aren’t always excited about the help they’re getting. Evans said their defense mechanism is to regurgitate or vomit.
For years, turkey vultures have roosted together in the neighborhoods around Lansdowne and Zandale drives.
This story was originally published February 4, 2022 at 6:56 PM.
