Vulture Problem Returns To Walnut Cove

A small town in the Triad is dealing with some unwanted visitors. Last year, around a thousand vultures invaded the town of Walnut Cove. The problem was getting better after some unusual measures were put in place, but now they're back – and this time it's personal.

Large flocks of vultures are taking up residence near people's homes. Before the birds were targeting local businesses, causing damage to roofs and historic structures. The USDA then hung birds that died in captivity around the town, in hopes of scaring them away. The so-called effigy program was doing the trick. But town manager Bobby Miller says now homeowners are calling him with complaints.

“That's money out of people's pockets when they have to fix their roofs,” says Miller. “We had one gentleman who had his camper torn by them and those things are expensive to have to replace.” 

Miller says he plans to include notices in resident's water bills, reminding them to keep pet food out of sight and to secure their trash bins.

It isn't clear why the birds are choosing Walnut Cove to hang out. But wildlife experts say the town has some attractive characteristics.

"The Walnut Cove area is an ideal roosting habitat for the birds. It has a lot of natural woodlands along the creek there and high transmission towers and other man-made structures," says Andy Moore, district manager with USDA Wildlife Services in Statesville.

Mathias Engelmann, with the Carolina Raptor Center, says the birds are federally protected, but residents can continue using harassment techniques to scare the birds, which can keep them from coming back. Those include using sound horns, playing music, and spraying them with a hose.

He says it takes a lot of persistence from everyone in the community to deal with it.

“These vultures tend to be pretty smart and they can figure out if somebody's only out there for a half of an hour one evening. They might fly off but they're probably going to come back for roosting again, so it's going to take some effort. It's not a quick and easy fix.”

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