# Buzzards on house



## mellba (Oct 15, 2004)

There is a house a couple of miles down the road in a direction we don't usually go. At least 5 times in the past couple of years when we have passed by this house there have been two or more buzzards sitting on the roof near the chimney. We saw this again just yesterday. It is kind of spooky. It is an old white house on a little hill. Someone keeps the grass cut but you never see anyone around the place, so we're not sure if anybody actually lives there or not. Is it common for buzzards to sit on a rooftop? I've never seen any do it except at this house.


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## Tracy Rimmer (May 9, 2002)

I'd be seriously freaked out by that. I thought buzzards only hung around if there was something dead... which kind of freaks you out when you think of that in tandem with their sitting on a seemingly deserted house's rooftop.


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## RockyGlen (Jan 19, 2007)

Is the name on the mailbox "Bates"


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Sitting near the chimney? Probably something got down in the chimney, couldn't get out and died. The buzzards can smell it, but can't get to it. Wouldn't bother me.


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## vegascowgirl (Sep 19, 2004)

Could be a weak spot in the roof around the chimney that allows warmth to escape (or coolness in summer). I've seen many birds find little roof pockets like this from time to time and use them to get comfy. It's usually doves and such, but I emagine buzzards would use them too. OR, maybe they just don't take their halloween decorations down...


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## BaronsMom (May 22, 2005)

It isn't unusual for us to see buzzards hanging out on the rooftop and chimneys of old abandoned farmhouses during summer. There are a couple of houses they roost on. The peaks sit just a bit higher than the old ragged trees. They migrate south for winter so haven't seen them for a couple of week. Really enjoy them when they are here though - fascinating animals.


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## mellba (Oct 15, 2004)

Ravenlost, I don't think there is anything dead down the chimney since we've noticed them at different times for the past couple of years. Looks like if there was something dead down there it would have dried up and stopped smelling by now. BaronsMom, I'd hate to see them on my roof. Do you think they'd hang out at a house where people were about? This house has curtains and porch furniture but I've never seen lights at night and only once saw someone in the yard and he was cutting the grass. I don't know if y'all make up stories about places but I do. I've imagined the house belongs to an old person who had to go to a nursing home but the family is keeping the house as it was out of respect for the person--just something I've made up. I can't figure out how the very real buzzards fit in to my made-up story though.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Animals and birds can fall down there on more than one occasion!


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Any missing people? Are you near highway where travelers could be snagged? Creepy. It sets the mind to going as to what could be smelling in the house.
When I lived in the big city there was a creek that ran through the suburbs.. more like a swamp really and the vultures would spend the winter there in droves because of the heat from the rotting vegetation.. you would drive by and there would be all these vultures in the trees all winter


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## mellba (Oct 15, 2004)

Ravenlost, Well I guess so but that really is spooky. Now I'm imagining that something in the house is luring these animals and birds to their deaths. Too much like a bad horror movie.


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## uncle Will in In. (May 11, 2002)

Up here buzzards get in groups. the group always spend the night together. Either in old dead trees on on abandoned buildings. In the early morning they will have a place where the go to get their wings dried out, and wait for the sun to create thermal lifts to help support them as they glide around looking for tasty tid-bits. An old tree near here was the roost for over 40 buzzards for a couple years. They would start congregating in the tree long before dark. One moral of roosting in a tree holding 40 buzzards, would be to always get there first and pick out a top limb.


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## homemom1fl (Nov 28, 2004)

The place we own in KY has a house next door owned by a weird guy who put a sign on it that says Temple of the Dead. It is all over grown and he lives with his brother in the next town over, he is too old and ill to live alone. Anyway, he used to feed the buzzards and they still roost in a tree behind the house overlooking the bluff. Ultra freaky! I've talked to people about him and he is considered "eccentric" though some say he is a devil worshipper. His house is supposedly built over the opening of a cave to cool it like natural air conditioning. He has a lot of kin in the town and most of them are pretty normal. I sometimes think he behaved this way to scare people off and keep them from messing with him. An elderly gentleman that I know said that when you are old and live alone, the more people think you are crazy and afraid of you, the better of you are.

I am getting ready to write a letter to his brother (who is now the owner of the house) to ask to buy it.


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## Zipporah (Jul 30, 2006)

My dh had one take to sitting in his office window.


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## mwhit (Jun 8, 2006)

Every spring the buzzards come and start roosting on the big tower right outside of town. They come at the same time each year-- there is no swamp, rotten stuff or anything to attract them there-- it's just a good high spot to sit I guess. They stay until fall. This has been occuring since I can remember (and longer) and is so regular that my father always says "The buzzards should be back this week" and they are.

Michelle


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## BethW (May 3, 2007)

This is a timely topic. When I left the house yesterday morning to go to work several buzzards were sitting in the trees in our yard and at least one was on the ridgepole of the house. I shivered and yelled at them and they flew off. 

Last summer one electrocuted himself on the top of the power pole in our yard. Had to cart him off in the wheelbarrow. Bleh. A face only a mother could love.


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## country_wife (Sep 24, 2004)

homemom1fl said:


> The place we own in KY has a house next door owned by a weird guy who put a sign on it that says Temple of the Dead. It is all over grown and he lives with his brother in the next town over, he is too old and ill to live alone. Anyway, he used to feed the buzzards and they still roost in a tree behind the house overlooking the bluff. Ultra freaky! I've talked to people about him and he is considered "eccentric" though some say he is a devil worshipper.
> 
> 
> > LOL...sounds like something I would do! Actually, we've put out 'goodies' for the buzzards, but they never land in our yard. They do circle our property a lot, though. I think they are awesome birds!
> ...


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## bugstabber (May 12, 2002)

There is a watertower in town where the buzzards like to perch. They've been there, or have returned there for several years.


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## Grandmotherbear (May 15, 2002)

Buzzards are snowbirds. They like to fly south for the winter,and rest on expensive, beachfront, high rise condominiums.
The condo commandos go nuts when they instruct Maintenance to trap or shoot them and are told" no can do- they are under Federal prtection'"
Then the indignant city people write nasty letters to the newspapers about how this lowers their property values and they should be able to take steops to get rid of them.
 ah, those condo commandos- rules apply to everybody else but ME,,,,
In Miami, they are welcomed at the highrises housing law offices, Professional coutesy, Grandfatherbear the lawyer tells me


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

Do you think buzzards are related to guineas? They kinda have similar faces. 

I don't think we have any buzzards around here, I haven't seen any. We do have Iwa birds which are large dark colored soaring birds but they usually soar out to sea unless there is a storm that drives them inland. I've never seen them sitting on houses, though. Maybe there are more houses than there used to be where you are so the buzzards are running out of other places to sit?


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## BaronsMom (May 22, 2005)

We had the same situation in a town near here where the buzzards started roosting in a very old large tree in a beautiful vacant lot in a "country club" neighborhood. Boy, those buzzards sure stirred up the rich folks - all except one. The doctor who owns the lot is also a bird enthusiast and member of the Audubon society. So he is more than happy to let those special birds stay no matter how many nasty letters people write


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## YounGrey (Jun 7, 2007)

Buzzards freak me out!


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## Barb Deaner (Jan 2, 2019)

I'd like to thank you for the add...Have had buzzards on my house and in my trees 3 days in a row now. At first it kinda freaked me out I'm in my 60's and right now have a bad case of flu.....so I hope you understand a little old lady's apprehension. After reading some of your reply's on this thread...I feel a lot better, and the neighbors goat is safe for now (kidding). Actually after watching them they are pretty neat birds, almost ugly to the point of cute. One things for sure You will never be looked down upon in life like a buzzards gaze......burrrrr


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## RideBarefoot (Jun 29, 2008)

Buzzards, pigeons, and crows all fight for the top of the silo here. I just figure that because it's the highest point on the property, it has the best view.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Sort of gross to realize that buzzards don't have neck feathers because it makes it easier to stick their heads into the bowels of a dead animal.


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## whiterock (Mar 26, 2003)

I've had them on my house more than once. They got to come down sometime and a roof is stronger than most of the available tree limbs here. They like utility poles, but only room for one on those. Some people have the nice gates where there is a crossbar between the gateposts over the gate. Those seem to be a favored spot as well.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

My neighbor has a cell tower on his place. Usually a dozen or so out there.


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## whiterock (Mar 26, 2003)

I don't notice the birds on my tower. But, I am sure they make use of it, especially high up towards the top. On the edge of escarpment, it would be ideal location for them.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

They provide an important service to the clean-up/recycling movement. Should be appreciated...


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Here we have Black Buzzards and they are destroying paint jobs on vehicles.

big rockpile


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## D-BOONE (Feb 9, 2016)

Ill bet the name on the mailbox is "Adams family"


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

OMG a thread resurrected from 2007 - What a trip down memory lane.


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

They are just waiting on air currents. Helps them fly heavy birds. Im at the top of a good size hill. They hang on my roof till the warm air current changes upward. Then they fly off the roof.


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## IndyDave (Jul 17, 2017)

I suppose that's ok as long as they aren't indicating that your house is dead!


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

The lodge at Hueston Woods in Ohio has Turkey Vultures (the true common name of buzzards) setting on it's roof every morning in the early spring. They are always there during the annual maple syrup festival. We often have them sunning themselves in a huge dead tree behind our house in the summer.


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