Did you know that vultures can be the enemy of your RV and your tow vehicle? This came as news to me in a recent visit to the Everglades. I first heard about it when I was reading reviews of the campground at the Flamingo area. A camper had written that while he was camped there, vultures had attacked the rubber seals on his truck. He said it was so bad they had to leave. This was a negative review of the campground. It was so outlandish that I sort of dismissed it. Sometimes people will write just about anything if they are in the mood to write a negative review. I tend to filter things like that pretty critically.Then, a couple days later, I was at the Royal Palm Visitor's Center. I was reading a display that the park service had put up. It was about the vultures. They attacked my rig, but I"m ok now.Who knew?-Speak

Yes-- there is a county park up by Tampa that I've seen the vultures picking at parked vehicle weather stipping. They also have a sign warning people of the birds and possible vehicle damage .

I am not sure if that was me, but a few years ago we were camping at Flamingo and paddled at Nine Mile Pond leaving our three month old Dodge Ram at the put in. When we returned the vultures were sitting on our roof racks and there were peck holes all along the door rubber molding. Prior to Hurricane Irma the N.P. used to have a large container with tarps and bungee cords at Flamingo that boaters could borrow, but we noticed that it is gone this year. Ever since we now bring a big tarp and bungee cords with us.Guy

While staying at CG at Lake Camanche CA evening time the Wild Turkeys would roam thru CGThey would stop off in front of our truck and clear the front bumper of bugsBears will peel open a car door like a pop top can to get inside for water bottlesBlack Birds hop from vehicle to vehicle in Walmart parking lot pecking at windows, mirrors, bumpers etc

Old-Biscuit wrote:While staying at CG at Lake Camanche CA evening time the Wild Turkeys would roam thru CGThey would stop off in front of our truck and clear the front bumper of bugsI have the luxury of not having to leave home to have the turkeys do that dance around my front bumper. They are treating it as if it's a giant mirror, and will do it long enough that they leave a trail in the gravel in my driveway.... they kick all the gravel away.

I get it, that some birds will learn there are dead bugs on a vehicle (my daughter's chickens stormed my car when I visited the other day - they too were picking dead bugs off the bumper) - but I sure don't know what a vulture's desire to tear up weather stripping is about ????? But thanks for the warning!

Vultures! | Good Sam Community

mobeewan
Explorer
May 21, 2019
Shooting them is a federal and state offense as they are protected species.

However air and propane cannons are used at airports and dumps to drive birds away.
Grit_dog
Navigator
May 21, 2019
BANG!

_____kin birds!
Horsedoc
Explorer II
May 20, 2019
So help me here, what is the reason they are doing this? I know, they aren't saying. Do they think it is a food source? Does it digest? Is it deadly? Does it bounce when they poop? ;) ;) ;)
Gjac
Explorer III
May 19, 2019
Saw those vultures when we camped in the everglades but they did not hurt the MH. I camp several times a year on the beach and seagulls drop mussels on the roof to crack them open then they **** all over it and make a mess.
SpeakEasy
Explorer
May 19, 2019
older_fossil wrote:
We visited the Everglades last month. No problems with the vultures camping at the Flamingo campground, but they are still a problem at the Royal Palm vistor's center. Below is a picture of the vultures doing their thing. Note the tarp on one car. The NPS still provides tarps and bungees for visitor use there.

Art

I'm sure those are the very ones that got after my stuff. I don't travel with a ladder, so until I was able to borrow one to check things over, I was nervous that they had compromised my roof. Fortunately, there was no evident damage.

-Speak
lynndiwagon
Explorer
May 19, 2019
Those look like black headed vultures. Turkey Vultures have red heads. Black headed vultures have been known to attack and kill young livestock while Turkey Vultures will kill nothing. I have a pair of Turkey Vultures nesting in an old chicken house on my property and have studied up on them. Very interesting birds. They are protected by law so you can't really do anything to disturb them. I kind of like them.....
mgirardo
Explorer
May 19, 2019
Jekyll Island Campground has signs warning about Woodpeckers and side view mirrors. They recommend covering all mirrors.

That's crazy about the vultures. Are those folks carrying animal carcasses in their car/trucks/RVs?

-Michael
older_fossil
Explorer
May 19, 2019
We visited the Everglades last month. No problems with the vultures camping at the Flamingo campground, but they are still a problem at the Royal Palm vistor's center. Below is a picture of the vultures doing their thing. Note the tarp on one car. The NPS still provides tarps and bungees for visitor use there.

Art
westend
Explorer
May 19, 2019
Birds will imitate behaviors from other birds in their flock. It doesn't take long for the flock to learn a new behavior. Ravens and blackbirds seem to be very fast learners but vultures also have a strong sense of "community unity" and are opportunists to a great degree.
On the farm, we had to remove a flock of domestic geese as they wouldn't stop trimming the wires off the trucks and cars. They were a pain, within a few weeks all the vehicles needed new rear brake light or license plate wiring.
mobeewan
Explorer
May 19, 2019
I've heard of them ripping the rubber strips off of windshield wipers too.

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