Wildlife Center releases turkey vulture wounded by gunshot

By: Erin McGrath | Nelson County Times
Published: February 11, 2009

Turkey vulture No. 16 made an impressive exit from captivity as he flew away from the small crowd gathered to see his release into Nelson County at Cherry Hill Farm in Arrington last week.

The male vulture, which had been convalescing at the Wildlife Center of Virginia’s Waynesboro clinic after being treated for a gunshot wound to the left wing, was freed Feb. 6 by Lee Schaeffer, a wildlife rehabilitator with the center.

The creature flexed its large wingspan and skimmed the ground before soaring out of sight.

It didn’t seem to care about the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ it elicited from the crowd behind him, but it possibly appeared to have given a “thank you” wave to caregivers before disappearing into the tree line.

The vulture was found Jan. 14 in a Staunton resident’s backyard and rescued by Shane Ayers of Staunton Animal Control before being taken to the Wildlife Center’s Waynesboro clinic.

“The end of its left wing it had lost some feathers and more seriously, had some broken bones,” said Randy Huwa, the center’s executive vice president. “It seriously compromised its ability to fly and its ability to eat. So when it came to us it was not in great shape.”

But after less than a month, the big bird was ready to fly again.

“The vulture has been in one of our flight pens and actually it flies really well,” Huwa said. “Its still missing feathers but those will grow in. We’re hopeful that this guy is ready to go back and make it on his own.”

The center doesn’t name the patients, but gives them numbers instead. Vulture No. 16 was the second turkey vulture to be treated for a gunshot wound at the center this year.

In Virginia, it is illegal to shoot turkey vultures, which are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

“We used to see many more of gunshot wounds for these kinds of birds,” Huwa said. “We see less and less of that because people have a better appreciation of the importance of raptors and vultures.”

In 2008, the center treated 2,469 animals, including 11 turkey vultures and 11 black vultures. Four of these birds were gunshot victims.