Releasing 7 Young Vultures

In April, we welcomed two tiny Black Vultures into our care, each weighing barely more than a deck of cards. Fragile and vulnerable, they were placed immediately into an incubator, where our team worked around the clock to provide the food and warmth they needed to grow.

Over the next two months, five more baby Black Vultures arrived at our Raptor Hospital. Each had presumably lost its parents or its nest, leaving them without a safe place to return to. With no other option, our rehabilitation team became their best chance at survival.

Every baby bird requires specialized care, but raising vulture babies comes with unique challenges. Vultures are especially susceptible to imprinting on humans, a process in which they learn to rely on humans and fail to learn the survival skills they need in the wild. Preventing imprinting is critical, and our team takes extraordinary precautions. When feeding, staff members don full camouflage suits to disguise their human form. Around the babies, voices stay hushed and movements quiet, ensuring the young birds never grow too comfortable with people.

Once the baby vultures were strong enough, we carefully introduced them to adult Black Vultures who acted as foster parents. By living alongside an adult of their own species, the young vultures began to pick up the lessons only another vulture could teach: how to find food, make vocalizations, respond to their environment, and interact with others.

Four months after the first arrivals, the moment we’d been working toward finally came: release day. These young vultures had grown into strong, capable birds with the instincts they needed to survive. For vultures, the right release site is everything. We chose an active roost, a natural gathering place where vultures spend the night resting and socializing, so these youngsters would be welcomed into a ready-made community.

With seven birds in our care and seven members on our Raptor Hospital team, it only felt fitting to release them together. The moment was unforgettable. Some took to the sky, soaring to tall perches, while others explored the ground, testing their wings and their world. Each one was beginning the life they were always meant to live.

Raising these vultures was no small task. For 126 days, our staff fed, cleaned, and monitored them daily, ultimately investing more than $13,000 in medical care. But every hour and every dollar was worth it. Vultures play a vital role in our ecosystem, consuming carrion and preventing the spread of disease. Despite their misunderstood reputation, they are nature’s cleanup crew, and the environment is healthier because of them.

We believe deeply in the importance of vulture rehabilitation, education, and conservation. That’s why we’ve launched our Save the Scavengers campaign, with a goal of raising $15,000 to protect these essential birds. Will you help us give them the future they deserve?