Update on turkey vultures found floating near Miami: Testing for toxins

Wildlife officials rescue Turkey Vultures, WSVN Miami, November 10, 2010:

Miami Science Museum's Sharon Montgomery: "There's a lot of theories right now... We're not really sure exactly what happened. This could have been a weather related event. We do have one casualty, so we're planning on having that one carcass evaluated for possible toxins or some other disease."

Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission officer Robert Schol: "When we arrived on scene, there were just birds sporadically dispersed, floating southward about a mile slick of them... There looked to be about 35, 40 birds, and that's just what we saw."

Turkey Vultures Found Distressed in Biscayne Bay, CBS 4 Miami, November 9, 2010:

CBS4 anchor: "More than 10 have been found dead."

FFWCC Officer Robert Scholl: CBS4: Was one of the first to arrive and see what was happening. He found birds covering a mile stretch of water. "35-40 birds, and that's just what we saw. And then on the way in we saw a few more. We tried to save as many as we could. " "They were swimming towards the boat. All of them were swimming toward my boat so that should tell you something. I've never seen anything like it."

Miranda Dickey, the wildlife keeper at the Miami Science Museum: "They should not be swimming anywhere . We find them all over the place but definitely not swimming and definitively not in this shape." "We were dreading the oil spill and we missed that and now we are getting this."

Greta Mealey, the director of wildlife center at the Miami Science Museum: CBS4: She planned to do necropsies as soon as possible... "Something significant affected this group."

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• miami
• florida
• toxins
• turkey vulture

[MyDadsRubberBroke]

For the past week, there have been a very large amount of Turkey Vultures hovering around central Florida. They are just flying around in very large numbers. I wish Dr. Dolittle was around, to ask them what they are doing.

[magickitty0128]

Still... good report, and bless the people who helped these birds!

[magickitty0128]

"Vultures are vicious" "they're dangerous"... GAH! Misinformation like that is why so many people don't like these birds. I volunteer at a wildlife rescue, and out of all the large birds, the turkey vultures are the least threatening. The geese and swans are more dangerous and meaner than the vultures!

[Rheabird3]

Pls Everyone - pray to whomever your God/creator is and Pray that All the Birds in the Gulf area will be 'enlightened & encouraged' to fly WEST or return home!!

Thank you Grant for your continued OUTSTANDING coverage of the Gulf crisis!

[MarsBar2012]

If it is BP oil spill related, they will NEVER report that to us. Bastards!

[MarsBar2012]

This is sad. They came to feast on the dead marine life possibly, and got poisoned instead. If they, who eat rotten crap, can't take it, we should not even try to consume either.

[TheUSVET]

Most likely they are eating the dead fish on shore. The fish are contaminated with oil and chemical dispersants from the BP oil spill. Sad...

[678beeple876]

Awe. That's so sick. We see these up north in the summer. I saw many of them roosting in the trees a few months ago.

[Fromplefeet]

I hope they test for "Synthia"

[johnkulaya]

The brilliant scientists at BP dropped them off hoping they'd eat all the dead fish