Not denying the condor thing. Still didnât answer the vulture thing. Yes, I know condors are a type of vulture but so are black vultures and turkey vultures which are more common than ever.
Comment on Littering đŻ
Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works â¨6⊠â¨hours⊠agoIngestion of lead ammunition is the primary reason California Condors almost became extinct, are still endangered, and arenât having the greatest success with being reintroduced.
As for bald eagles, theyâre lazy smart, if they see takeout just sitting there, theyâre not gonna make dinner from scratch.
Pirat@lemmy.org â¨5⊠â¨hours⊠ago
AlligatorBlizzard@sh.itjust.works â¨3⊠â¨hours⊠ago
A lot of wildlife rehabs donât deal with the non-endangered or threatened birds. Several years ago a friend of mine found an injured bird of some sort and we called around trying to find help for it but all of the local rehabbers said if it wasnât a bald eagle they couldnât help. So because most vultures arenât endangered afaik, they just die and probably nobody is keeping track.
Pirat@lemmy.org â¨5⊠â¨hours⊠ago
Secondary reply: I donât know If Iâd call bald eagles smart. When I drive by a road kill that has vultures and a bald eagle feasting at it, the vultures fly away from the road while the stupid eagle flies right in front of my car. Iâve nearly had them smash into my windshield several times. It is now my standard reaction to slow down if I see a bald eagle eating road kill. I donât worry about the vultures because they know what to do.
BTW, bald eagles were nearly driven extinct by DDT. We quit using that so bald eagles are now numerous enough that I have to brake to keep from hitting while they eat road kill despite the lead poisoning.