Photographer captures 13 raptors in a row as turkey vulture sightings soar

Thirteen vultures perched on wooden stakes is a sight some might find eerie and uncomfortable.

But not for Richibucto-Village nature photographer Robert Shortall.

"I just found it gorgeous," he said. "In my mind's eye, it looked like a painting."

Shortall snapped the photo on an early September morning in the Tantramar Marsh area, neartheNova Scotia border.

He was out on a birding expedition with no particular avian subject in mind.

"When you go out in the morning you have ideas of what you're going to see, but you never know what Mother Nature is going to be showing off that day," he said. "And you get some awesome surprises such as the 13 turkey vultures lined up on fence posts."

Shortall said the first turkey vulture he spotted in New Brunswick was more than a decade ago. Since then, he said they're not uncommon to spot soaring in the sky.

Seeing 13 sitting together, however, is a first.

"It was a major treat that they were all lined up on the fence posts," he said. "At first I thought they were crows or ravens and had to stop and take a second look and then when I saw they were all turkey vultures, it was like, this is freaking awesome!"

Shortall isn't the only one to notice or be excited about increasing vulture populations in New Brunswick.

Jim Wilson is a bird expert who is credited with having documented some of the first turkey vultures in the province about 30 years ago.

According to Wilson, turkey vultures traditionally lived as far south as Florida but have gradually moved into all regions of New Brunswick.

"They began to sort of move into the province and now we've got turkey vultures that are showing up all over," he said. "They're really expanding the range because they're very well equipped to do so."

Wilson credits vulture success to their incredible vision, sense of smell, and intelligence. He called them the "ultimate scavenger."

• 'Ultimate scavenger' turkey vulture may be N.B.'s newest permanent species

Some vultures will be migrating this winter, but Wilson said many are year-round residents.

"If you know you can get by in an area here and survive, why not stay?" he said. "Some migrate and others are able to get by finding food sources during the winter with naked heads and no hats!"

Not aggressive

Unlike many invasive species, Wilson said vultures aren't causing harm to other animals that traditionally live in New Brunswick. In fact, he said we should be thankful they have crossed the border.

"It's not a bad thing at all. All they're doing is cleaning up," he said. "These birds are really very helpful to humans because they're cleaning up a lot of dead things around that could cause disease."

He expects the 13 vultures Shortall captured were keeping a close eye on their next meal.

"There's a carcass of some kind around, very close by and they're roosting there, so they won't be very far from it overnight," he said.

Wilson adds that despite common public perception, vultures aren't aggressive.

"Even though they look a little formidable because they're large and dark and they've got these naked, pink heads, and they kind of look intimidating, they're very, very passive," he said.

Shortall encourages people who fear vultures, or find them creepy, to learn more about them.

"Once you know more about their characteristics and get to enjoy watching them soar in the sky, I think your opinion changes on them."