On any given day over the past few months, at least half a dozen people congregated at the doors across from the Dental Hygiene office in the Dental School Building to admire two black vulture nestlings that had transformed in the span of just a few weeks.

After hatching early this year, the family of vultures nested on campus in the private corner of the courtyard across from the Dental Hygiene office. Photo courtesy of Melanie Taverna, MSDH, FADHA, assistant professor/clinical faculty, Department of Periodontics, Division of Dental Hygiene.

Once covered in whitish tufts of feathers, the sprawling birds with extensive black wings and white downy feathers circling their bare heads were inching toward adulthood. But despite their breakneck growth, they still retained a look of innocence that hinted at their recent entrance into the world.

The two nestlings were the newest chicks to hatch to a family of vultures nesting on campus the past four years. The private corner of the courtyard across from the Dental Hygiene office was likely chosen because of its shade and seclusion and has been used by the same parents that have successfully reared their young there over the years.

"Birds are very loyal to a place that works," said Richard Gibbons, Audubon Society director of conservation, Texas. "They need a place where predators aren't likely to find them, because they are often on the ground. Sometimes they'll find a little hollow in a tree, but usually they're ground nesters."

A new home

Initially thought to nest at the Professional Administrative Resource Center Building, the black vultures claimed their newest nesting site near the entry doors to the Dental School in early 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, said Jeffrey Patterson, MBA, executive director, Facilities Management and Operations. The site fit the criteria that most black vultures seek: dark cavities such as caves, hollow trees, abandoned buildings, brush piles, thickets and stumps, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

One of the vulture parents watches over an egg early this year. Courtesy of the Dental Hygiene Office.

There, the mother laid her eggs and called the site home. Since then, the black vultures have arrived at this site around January each year.

To preserve the pristine location, university staff went to great lengths not to disturb the nesting site during a months-long roof renovation at the Dental School in 2023. Facilities Management worked closely with Compliance to ensure that the construction would not impact the birds, Patterson said.

"Fortunately, the work did not impact the flight pattern of the hatchlings," he said.

Circle of life

While black vultures tend to lay one to three eggs - which can be bluish white or pale green - the mother vulture on campus has been consistent in laying two eggs each year, Patterson said.

Both the mother and father vultures take turns incubating the precious eggs - a common practice that allows one parent to protect the eggs while the other forages for food. As monogamous birds, the black vultures remain with their mates throughout the year.

Typically, the incubation period for black vultures is 37-48 days, according to Stan Tekiela's 2004 "Birds of Texas Field Guide." And, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, once the chicks hatch - covered in thick yellowish or pinkish down - they are dependent on their parents.

The eggs typically hatch by March or early April, Patterson said. The latest brood of two was welcomed into the world this April.

Black vulture chicks typically remain nestlings that do not venture away from the nest for 80-90 days. Parents feed their young for up to eight months after fledging, or when the vultures develop wings large enough to fly, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

"Vultures are definitely learners. They are altricial and get a lot of parental care," Gibbons said. "It takes some time and practice for them to learn to fly. When that time comes, if they were already moving around, they'll probably start jumping up and down and really flap those wings, getting the feel for it. It's not a super easy instinct."

In recent weeks, the newest nestlings have been perfecting their flying techniques near the back steps of the Dolph Briscoe Jr. Library as well as in front of the building.

The nestlings roamed in front of the Dolph Briscoe Jr. Library Building doors in June. Photo courtesy of Roberta Johnson, library clerk assistant-associate.

"It's really funny, because you watch [the nestlings] work at the back of the [library] building where the little seating area is, and they get a little better at [flying]," said Administrative Assistant Michele Couret, who has worked at both the Dental School and Dolph Briscoe Jr. Library buildings, where the birds often gather. "They go over the top of the library to the front area and they'll sit on the railings in the morning and kind of watch the students walk up. And if the students aren't paying attention, or if they're looking at their phone, they never even notice that they passed this two-foot bird."

Each year, after the brood gains their stride, the family leaves the Dental Hygiene courtyard at the end of June or early July and can be spotted on the back side of the breezeway, according to a faculty member working in the Dental Hygiene office.

Once the brood enters adulthood, they can reach the size of a heron, mallard or herring gull, with broad wings that span at least 4.5 feet, according to The National Audubon Society. Their flying technique is distinctive, with strong wingbeats followed by short glides, giving them a batlike appearance, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Close-knit families

Slightly smaller than the red-headed turkey vulture, black vultures - also called black buzzards - are more sociable than the turkey vultures, notes author Tkiela.

They are very loyal to their family. These close-knit ties are particularly advantageous as they forage for food. Because they lack a good sense of smell, they hover above the more aroma-sensitive turkey vulture and follow the vulture to carrion, or an animal's carcass. As the turkey vulture swoops in and begins his meal, the solitary bird may be edged out by a family of black vultures arriving soon after, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

In addition to sharing meals, black vulture families also enjoy allopreening, or grooming one another. "It's hard for birds to clean their own head," Gibbons said. "They may help each other out

The nestlings rested in front of the Dolph Briscoe Jr. Library Buildings doors in June. Photo courtesy of Roberta Johnson, library clerk assistant-associate.

- 'oh, you missed a spot back here.' That was always surprising to me, just how much they like to sit around and preen and take care of each other."

A front-row seat to nature

Many members of the university community have delighted in having a firsthand look as the hatchlings progress and mature each year.

Some years, university employees have even named the hatchlings. In 2020, the hatchlings were named Passion and Purpose, and in 2022, Sol and Luna, the faculty member recalled.

"Many people come and take breaks to visit them daily, to check on the babies and take pictures," the faculty member said. "As the babies get bigger, they start to venture into the plants and sometimes you can't see them and I can hear people say, 'Oh no! Where are the babies?' But the babies peek out and I can hear the excitement [when they find] them."

Roberta Johnson, library clerk assistant-associate, said it's been a pleasure watching the baby vultures mature.

"I think it's kind of neat to see them grow up and go on their way," she said. "Not many people get that opportunity."

Benefiting the ecosystem

While black vultures may spur some negative associations because they are often spotted at sites of dead animals, they help clean the ecosystem and protect it from diseases. They are, in effect, nature's cleanup crew.

"Try to understand wildlife for what they are and for what their ecology demands of them," Gibbons said. "Once you understand what their lives are, then you can really appreciate the way that they're shaped by nature to have these big nostrils and these bare heads. All these things that may seem weird or strange have a purpose. Once you think of it like that, I think [black vultures] will earn the appreciation of anyone who's willing to pay attention. There are cultures that highly revere vultures, and we should be one of them."

Editor's note: If you missed seeing the nestlings this year, stay tuned until early 2025.

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