For a few weeks now, I have been making the 6.1 mile drive from my RV to my brother-in-law’s home, several times a day. The first is each morning between eight and nine in the morning. By then, the Florida warmth has begun, and I see a flock of vultures circling upward in thermal drafts.
It is not a flock of vultures but rather a kettle of vultures, when they are flying. Their gliding and circling together as a group is a rather dramatic view. I see it every day near a certain pond on these daily drives. I took a side detour and saw one of the trees that they roost in.
When roosting, vulture groups are called a committee. Several years ago, I was visiting a wildlife preserve in Florida, and came across a committee of turkey vultures (the red-headed vultures). I found a feather. I bagged it, and after a thorough cleaning, put the feather in my collection of feathers. There is folklore that a vulture feather can ward off disease.
So with vultures on my mind, I have lately been searching for vulture/buzzard books in local thrift shops and book stores; and with great success! First, I have the kid’s book “Bert and Wert” by Midge Ballou Smith, published in 2023. It is a children’s book that gives some good facts about vultures. Smith explains the “clean-up” work that vultures do in nature by eating dead and rotten animal carcasses. It seems that when vultures are feeding together, it is called a wake of vultures.
Other tidbits of knowledge about vultures I found, were that their stomach can handle eating spoiled and dead animals safely. Their heads are bald because those feathers would get filthy and cause infections. Vultures poop and piddle (both items are highly acidic) on their feet for the same reason of keeping infections down.
Another kid’s book I bought is “I Got Barfed on by a Turkey Vulture” by Balinda Fortman 2014. According to Fortman, when a vulture is eating, and another animal comes up to it to feed, the vulture can projectile vomit onto the other animal. One, to scare the animal; and two, to make it easier (lighter) for the vulture to fly away if the other animal is not scared.
The book is also interesting because it is illustrated by many children’s renditions of vultures. I have now added the entire series, to my book-list of items I am looking for.
I also came across this detailed book, “The Raptor Almanac: A comprehensive Guide to Eagles, Hawks, Falcons, and Vultures” by Scott Weidensaul, published in 2000.
This is a very interesting book of many raptors, including vultures. Along with scientific information and photographs, I discovered some folklore about vultures. “Sky Burials” or Towers of Silence” was one. Zoroastrian beliefs in India were that burial or cremation of the dead defiles sacred elements of Earth and Fire. It was important to use vultures in death ceremonies to keep souls pure.
Egyptians had several instances of using vultures. They would mummify vultures. Two Egyption goddesses were represented as vultures-Mut and Nekhbet. These vultures were symbols in Hieroglyphic writings for rebirth in the afterlife.
Vultures were mentioned several times in the bible: Leviticus 11:13-15; Proverbs 30:17; Hosea 8:1; and Matthew 24:28. Each mention was an interesting one, especially Proverbs where “the eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother…will be eaten by the vultures.”
I asked a book dealer if they had any Floridian poems, or poems about vultures. I was handed the book, “The Complete Poems 1927 to 1979” by Elizabeth Bishop published in 1984.
I was told that this was a wonderful poet, and that her poem “Florida” would answer both my needs. Bishop wrote it while living in Key West in the 1930’s. It begins:
“The state with the prettiest name,
the state that floats in brackish water,
held together by mangrove roots
that bear while living oysters in clusters…”
But then she describes the backside of Florida. It is not all beautiful. Death and decay are always hiding right beyond the palm trees and live oaks. Like ghostly veils, Spanish moss hangs everywhere.
“and when dead strew white swamps with skeletons,
dotted as if bombarded, with green hummocks
like ancient cannon-balls sprouting grass.”
And then what may be the final death sign…
“Thirty or more buzzards are drifting down, down, down,
over something they have spotted in the swamp,
in circles like stirred-up flakes of sediment
sinking through water.”
The entire poem is well written, and the whole book is worth looking into. The copy I was given had many notes written on some pages. Someone was dissecting and penciling views and discussions on a multitude of the poems. It may have been a college text book, and the added writings enhanced my reading experience.
In all of my vulture tomes, vulture symbolism can be confusing or complex. These birds can represent death and decay, or purification and rebirth. The physical attributes and actions of vultures were found equally as interesting.
Thanks for following along on this flight with books and vultures.
P.S.
A vulture boards an airplane with three dead raccoons. The flight attendant says to him, “I’m sorry, sir, it’s only two carrion per passenger.”
What is a vulture’s favorite kind of underwear?
Thermals. They’re always flying in them.
Librarytomes 