Families in a Florida neighborhood say Turkey vultures have invaded and torn up their homes, WFLA News Channel 8 reported.
A Turkey vulture flies over Panama City. Photo by Luis Acosta. Getty.
“We could have 20 to 25 vultures on our roofs,” Judi Oliveri, a resident, told WFLA. “They land on our screens. Their under feathers are all over the roof. Their droppings are all over the place.” (RELATED: School Installs A Cannon On Its Roof To Deal With Bird Problem)
“They are destroying our neighborhood and our property values,” she added. “I would like them gone.”
Turkey vultures are federally protected migratory birds and a federal authorization or permit is required to legally kill them, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issues permits that allow people to kill vultures that could present harm, its website states. Turkey vultures can be “harassed,” however, if they threaten livestock, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Eric Goldstein, a neighborhood resident of 20 years, said he has contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to remove the birds, ABC Action News reported.
“They actually came down and did a site visit,” Goldstein told ABC Action News. “They agreed. We have an invasion of the Turkey vultures. They agree the population is out of control. It’s tripled.”
“They walk around up there and they scratch,” Oliveri told ABC Action News. “It sounds like a dance party up there. They wake you up and every morning.”