He saw other birds around the bird bath. but he didn't know what it was. When he flew on to it the first time, the water surprised him. Then he watched the crow and imitated the crow with the bird bath. He learned by watching other birds.
I had the pleasure of rehabilitating a Black Vulture a few years back (broken wing). Named him George...he would tree up near the house at night. Walk into the house (after awhile) for his meals...and then afterwards...lay out in the sun with our two dogs and just bake. Took a bath every day in our creek...they are very clean animals...no diseases. He still swings by now and then and nods bobs his head vigorously if he sees me on the trails. Mate checked on him every day too...and helped to feed him. There's a lot more going on than most folks realize.
Black vultures are one of the most intelligent vultures. Though vultures in general are pretty intelligent and actually surprisingly affectionate with their handler's
Sounds like you did a terrible job rehabbing tbh. Getting a wild animal accustomed to humans, houses, and dogs is one of the easiest ways to endanger them
It honestly never occurred to me that birds had to learn how to use a bird bath 😂 I always figured it was just instinctual but I guess a suspended puddle is pretty unnatural when you think about it.
It's not so much "learn to use the bath"... it's about risk minimization. Wild animals have no way of knowing what are the consequences of encountering something new. As far as possible, they wait for others to take the risks and then learn from the outcome. The bathing is not the issue - the "is this unknown water body safe" is. The only way for them to learn is their own experience... and experience of others they can see. Most wild animals make only 1 mistake in their lives - it's often their last.
Yeah. They also learn manners. When you see the baby birds jumping into the bath, they just plop down in everybody’s way and splash everyone. The adults have much better manners
The way the crow only took a sip and stood aside to give the vulture space to do it as well, but still stuck around to watch. I wonder if that was intentional.
I have no idea but it is so cool to watch all the creatures interact! You never know what they're going to do. I have a video where a Blue Jay takes a bug out of the water and sets it aside. It was almost like he was trying to save it from drowning!
If I remember correctly, vultures and buzzards don't really drink water, getting what they need from their food. That makes this a truly unique interaction!
People have been told deer are purely herbivorous but it turns out they may eat baby birds if the opportunity arises. Sure, I bet in highly arid climates where you aren't likely to find any standing water to drink from, then the water in the flesh and blood of prey is fine... but if there's water right in front of you why not drink?
@@VolundMushI remember reading that. I think it was some sort of enzyme or vitamin deficiency, because cows do the same thing. They'll murk small game and eat it.
Strictly speaking, buzzard refers to hawks of the genus buteo and not to vultures. The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is Europe's equivalent of the red-tailed hawk, the two are often considered to form a 'species complex'.
@@backyardwildlifeintexas387 No it’s not, it’s a turkey vulture. They are two different birds. Get your backyard Texas wildlife right already ffs. Jesus.🙄🤦♂️🤡💩👎
I have always loved vultures. So interesting to see his fascination with the birdbath. In zoos vultures bond deeply with their keepers and are among the most affectionate friends.
True. I helped the vultures when I worked at the Key Largo Wild Bird Clinic. They were shy. When they were rehab'ed and released, they'd return to the clinic for feeding time (missing the food and their buddies).
Honestly they are majestic creatures! Such a huge, important part of our ecosystems. We should always be happy when we see one of these beautiful birds, and thanking them for helping keep our planet clean and free of many diseases.
You keeping the spinning ball with curved water that defy all physics and is pure fantasy that the Elites used to make shut up about asking certain questions they really hate because it would prove that a certain religion is right? Then yes.
They look so dapper. The way the wings sit makes me think of a coat, and the featherless face is like a mask, as if the vulture is going to a masquerade ball. Such a gentlemanly bird.
Such under appreciated creatures. It is sad how bad their number have plummeted in other countries. I really hope conservation efforts keep them from going extinct.
We seem to have a ton of them here and they have plenty of roadkill to keep them fed. I once had about 50 of them roosting in the trees on our property. I can't believe their even close to being extinct but then I don't know what happens to them in other countries. As you probably know, it's illegal to kill them here and I recently found they don't pose a health risk to anyone.
@@backyardwildlifeintexas387 poison for outdoor "pests" (anything from rats to lions) cause dead vultures and weak shells, as far as I remember. The pests ingest the poison, and then they die with the poison still in their bodies and then the vultures and other scavengers eat them.... I think some pesticides cause weak egg shells which leads to fewer hatched babies. Sometimes vultures are directly poisoned instead of dying from poisoned bait meant for the cattle herders' and farmers' animal "enemies", because e.g. poachers don't want their positions revealed to those hunting the poachers - a bunch of circling vultures are as effective as smoke signals in that regard. There are a lot of good in depth pages about the different issues in different locations that causes death for vultures and their eggs.
@@backyardwildlifeintexas387 Vulture numbers in India plummeted due to the usage of diclofenac, a drug used to trate inflammation in cattle. This drug is fatal to Vultures, and in India cattle carcasses are usually left out for the vultures to clean up. Diclofenac is now banned, but it'll take time for the vulture population to recover.
Turkey vultures and black vultures are native to North America. There has never been either species anywhere else. Old world vultures are very different to turkey vultures and black vultures. As far as I’m aware neither new world species is endangered. A few of the old world species are however, due to habitat destruction and some just being more sensitive to climate change.
I never heard the term 'turkey vulture' until I left the islands. In Jamaica we call them John Crows. They're considered dirty because they're scavengers, but I always found them fascinating to watch. Clearly intelligent the way they'll observe their surroundings before approaching something new.
@@princeofcupspoc9073 They don't lose it in a single lifetime, the reason they are balled is because they evolved so that dead meat does NOT soil their feathers. That's the opposite of dirty; They evolved to be clean
@@huntsman9316- They also keep the world clean. Without meat scavengers like vultures or crows we’d have a lot more rotting bodies around creating diseases.
They aren't just considered dirty because they are scavengers, the smell of rotten meat is very strong on them. I had a friend who is a paraglider and he once found himself behind one of them while flying over the Papine area. He said the scent was superbly repulsive. He felt like he was losing consciousness.
We had about 50 of them roosting in the trees in the back of our property about 7 years ago. It was getting pretty nasty with all their poop around. I had to "urge" them to leave. Thank god they did!
A few years ago, we had a surprisingly warm early winter...then a rare snowstorm. This is about 15 miles north of the OBX in NC. I went outside around 2 am before I went to bed and to my surprise small birds were singing loudly. I figured they were at risk of freezing to death (because they needed to eat then and there) so I fed them. The next day about a dozen turkey buzzards were down on the ground next to our local grocery store begging for food, and were there for about 4 days...everyone fed them.
I have subsequently seen the entire flock (it's huge) around that area several times. They love the water retention pond nearby. Once I saw then with at least 50 juveniles. The adults were mostly on the ground and the juveniles were in the treetops. Very cool.@@backyardwildlifeintexas387
What an absolutely STUNNING bird - his excitement to try the bird bath after watching the crow and figuring out what he was supposed to do made my heart soar 😭
Well that's it. Now I've seen everything! Great birdbath----well-grounded to hold a heavy vulture and not tip. You certainly did that right. Great photography and the clear sound of birds singing and calling is wonderful.
@@backyardwildlifeintexas387 Yes. Their bones are where their air sacs go so they can breathe continuously as they fly. They're fascinating creatures!
I always like Buzzards and Vultures.( we once had an entire flock sitting in a dead tree in our backyard, an amazing but slightly eldritch sight.) When I see them sometimes it's like tired old men in tattered overcoats on the ground, but when they take flight they become princes of the air gracefully sailing the sky. Such cool critters. Crows are cool too!
Turkey buzzard. Probably saw the birdbath from the sky and was curious. They are an inquisitive, bird, and playful. And very intelligent! Wonderful bird. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🦃
She’s beautiful. It’s fun to watch animals during a “discovery” moment when at first they are timid but their curiosity finally gives them the boldness to explore this new object. 💕
This was really fun to see. Turkey Vulture right? I was cheering him on come on bud get a drink you can do it! I have 2 birdbaths going. Sometimes they are so apprehensive about it. One the other hand some jump in and get out only to jump back in several times 😅 Bird baths are so fun to watch and super important for our feathered friends. Bless you for having it out. Love for Colorado ❤
The bird on the bird bath heard about a photo shoot as an advertisement for its species and was immediately willing to show itself in front of the camera as a representative 😄
Wow !!! 😯😯 It's amazing to see my FAVORITE bird the crow hanging out with this incredible Turkey vulture. Shocking to see one at a bird bath. Amazing video. 😃 Thanks for posting. 👍👍
Agreed! We can get along but there are those who try to drive us apart. Today is 9/11... I can remember how united we became after that horrific event! People need to never forget!
Turns out it’s easy to get along with someone if you have the intelligence of a two-year-old and all your interactions consist of sitting quietly next to each other.
@@diannshoemaker6419 i mean, vultures dont really go through the effort of hunting, they scavenge from carcasses that were taken down by other predators or simply died for some other reason
So very cool!! The crow showed him that it was ok. Love the serenity of the view and water sounds. Thank you for sharing your slice of heaven with us. ❤
So far, I believe the largest birds to bathe in this bath are the crows. They splash water all over the place! There are other videos of them splashing like crazy!
Wow! What a beauty! I love these birds. They are masters of the sky, and God's natural disposals. Thanks for sharing, never seen one in such close up detail.
True, however, I had a flock of them roosting on our property and after a while it started smelling pretty nasty. I was able to get rid of them after a couple months of BB gun shots! Don't worry, they didn't get hurt. It just makes them fly away and eventually learn not to come back!
That was a treat! Not often you see a magnificent turkey vulture in your backyard! The camera spooked him the first time, and he was wary of it. Smart bird. Maybe have a pool they can bathe in? Running water attracts them.
@@backyardwildlifeintexas387 I googled "do vultures bathe?" and this came up: "Although vultures are often stereotyped as dirty and "gross," they like to bathe and also spend a lot of time preening their feathers."
@@backyardwildlifeintexas387 I live in rural southern Mississippi and have a catfish pond on my property. The blue herons come in the early morning and sometimes get greedy and pull out a catfish that's too big for them to swallow, so they leave it on the bank. Then the vultures come and have themselves a little fish snack. Afterwards, they hop in my pond and splash and preen. They are so cute!
It kinda looked like the crow was intentionally showing that tall dark handsome stranger how to step up to the bar and take his first drink😉. Crows are very cool!😎
Oh now that's so precious ! An then it was like the Crow showed up to show him how it's done ! Too cool indeed. An what a absolutely beautiful bird 🥰 . I love Vultures & Crows they are both so cool !
One of the reasons why I love birds is because when they're curious, they all seem to react the same way. Looking around with their head side to side and looking around them to see if anyone is watching or coming lol so cute
Beautiful bird , they are always flying around in large groups they have never visited either of our fountains that would really be exciting to watch , thank you for sharing your new visitor !!!!
Nothing says “today’s going to be a great day” like a buzzard I’m your birdbath is my motto! A line from a very popular film comes to mind, with minor adjustment: “You’re gonna need a bigger birdbath”. ❤ Thanks for sharing!
Turkey Buzzards are amazing birds! They ENJOY flying! You can see them soaring around having a great time. I also saw one flying with a hawk and out maneuvering the hawk and showing off. I could imagine the vulture saying, 'This is FLYING, Bitch!!' Anyway, if you have any, put out chicken livers or chicken gizzards. They will come and eat that! Always remembers, that vultures are blessed amongst all carnivores as they do not kill to eat.
Oh how wonderful!! A couple of years ago our neighbors across the street from us took photographs of 2 vultures mating on our roof!! They still hang around our neighborhood 😊❤
Turkey vultures actually have a very sweet and caring temperament and are known to be very loving when they are in captivity, despite their looks and smell they love humans and we should love them!!!
Dudes! The reason those carrion eaters heads are featherless and bald is because they are way cleaner and no bacteria on the skin of them nature equip them well...
By the way, and trust me on this one. It’s not the tip of the birds beak that you have to be careful of. As there beak line runs all the way up, just below their eye. And that is like a “razor blade” on both sides of their face. From the white part of their beak all the way up to their eye. When they bite, they pull their head back. . . . It’s like somebody’s slicing you with a pair of pruning scissors. Enjoy.
What makes me laugh is... The Vulture, although it didn't realize what that perch/birdbath was for, it pretended to be picking grass just to observe the crow to see what the big deal was about that bird bath! LMAO
Loved this vid. We have these vultures around here in Central IL. Not exactly the most beautiful bird like a Cardinal or Blue Jay, but they have a look that only a Mother could love. 😊. ❤
I don't know if you've seen a movie called "The Dark Crystal", but my daughter loved it and there were creatures called "Skecksies". Vultures remind of these evil ones in the movie! 😆
I like to think that the crow saw the vulture struggling from a distance and came to show him how to use it. Then stuck around to make sure he did it right.
I LOVE vultures. There was a turkey vulture at Auburn University names Kramer and he was so interesting to interact with at Southeast Raptor Rehab Center. And so gentle compared to the owls and hawks and eagles.
Nice video without any kindergarten music. Thanks! Having observed these large birds on the wing my whole life I was surprised by several chewing on roadkill in the middle of a neighborhood street one day. They are an impressive size up close. No wonder we call them turkey vultures.
Thank you for posting. Turkey vultures get a bad rap but are quite impressive. Question: What is the noise in the background at ~3:47 and again at ~4:00?
Did the crow just get on the bird bath and go "Here, friend, look what I'm doing. Now you try"? (I know I'm projecting human emotions on them, but it really did look like the crow was there to show the ropes)
