Bewitched by a Bird
by Lyn Knepper Chesna, SWRC volunteer
Last year when wildlife rehabilitation director Rick Schubert asked me to go outside to get Tabitha, I was a little nervous. Short yet stately, dark eyes, long slender neck, not exactly pretty, but handsome, she often sat under the tree at the front of the clinic. I'd noticed her sitting there each time I came in for my shift, but never dealt with anyone of her kind. Would she like me? I took a deep breath, slipped on elbow-length welding gloves, and put on my best face. I greeted her using my friendliest voice then extended my arm as if for a handshake. She gracefully jumped onto my forearm and almost instantly I knew I had met someone special. Tabitha and her kin have a bad reputation, but believe me when I say that if you meet her, you'll never look at a vulture the same way again.
In the spring of 2007, a Good Samaritan found a fledgling black vulture (Coragyps atratus) in need of help. Someone had shot her with a pellet gun and wounded her left wing badly. The bird was brought to SWRC and we set about giving her the best care. Although her shoulder mended, the bones did not knit back together with enough strength for flight. The vulture would remain grounded for life. Because the young seemed relatively unstressed by humans, it was decided she would train as an educational animal. Tabitha successfully adapted to life at SWRC and is now a regular in the Center’s wildlife programs.
Black vultures are highly social animals that live and forage for carrion in large groups. Despite their untidy eating habits, these birds of prey spend hours cleaning and fluffing their feathers. Smaller than the turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), the black vulture is not as common in the Philadelphia area due to its preference for warmer climates. They hatch their young in the spring, with both sexes incubating the eggs and feeding the babies. While their diet of road kill and rotting vegetation may be distasteful to us, vultures fill an important niche in our environment and perform a much-needed service as nature's recycling and clean-up crew. This is one of the messages we hope the audience takes away from the Center's wildlife programs.
Our goal as wildlife rehabilitators is ultimately to return injured and orphaned creatures to their native habitat. In Tabitha's case, our job was confounded by nature. However, by studying and understanding her behavior, we have been able to give her a second chance and a life not many vultures get to live. She is an animal ambassador who, hopefully, makes a lasting impression on those she meets. I know the impression she has made on me will last a lifetime.
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