GS69

Vulture Takes a Wild Ride in Lexus Grill

Dropping by U.S. 1 for a snack turned a young vulture into an accidental hitchhiker July 11.

The raptor took off too late to avoid traffic and found itself firmly lodged behind the bumper of a southbound Lexus. Now the bird known as Grilly is on the way to a full recovery at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center after his wild ride and rescue.

"He's our miracle vulture," Amanda Margraves, chief rehabilitator for the Tavernier center, said Monday. "He's doing great and will eventually be released."

Jennifer Gardner of Palm Beach Gardens called the bird center's hotline July 11 to report that a vulture was stuck in the front of her car. Gardner knew her car hit the black bird south of Florida City, but heavy traffic did not allow her to stop, Margraves said.

When Gardner reached Key Largo, she was startled to see the vulture had come along for the ride. Center staff told her they cannot respond to dead birds after hours. "5 minutes later, she called back to say it's not dead," Margraves said.

Gardner drove to the center's treatment clinic, where intern Leah Zigelsky and staff climbed beneath the Lexus. Mechanic's tools were used to loosen parts of the grill assembly, and Grilly came free. His survival was remarkable but the vulture's condition surprised Dr. Bob Foley and other volunteer veterinary advisors for the nonprofit center.

"X-rays showed he had no broken bones, which nobody could believe," Margraves said. "The only injury he sustained was some hemorrhaging in one of his lungs."

The exhausted Grilly slept for 2 days straight but soon was up, walking, and enjoying staff-prepared carrion.

Although the bird center's staff refers to the young adult Grilly as a male, that's a guess. It also could turn out to be either a turkey vulture or a black vulture. "They go through so many color changes, it's really hard to know at this stage," Margraves said.

Both species live in South Florida but turkey vultures are more common.

"We have some year-around resident vultures in the Keys. During their migrations, there are thousands and thousands," Margraves said. "It's inevitable that we wind up with a room full of vultures during migration."

While the dining habits of vultures seem repulsive, ornithology experts point out that vultures generally are clean, non-aggressive and play a critical role in preventing the spread of disease by devouring dead wildlife.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Poor but lucky vulture.

Hope he's doing much better...

mrraider

The last time I saw a vulture near a Lexus was at the dealership.....

Ba-da-bing!

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

There's been a few of these "birds in grill" over the years

I8ABMR

LMAO. Thats so true !!!

bruce van

Lucky bird.

I had a run in with a bird few months back. It was a small sparrow and it flew into the path of my car. It bounced off the front end and I saw the poor thing take a tumble on the asphalt in the rear mirror. I don't think it was as lucky as the vulture.

God I felt really awful about it...still do.

Wrath

iTrader: (2)

They named it Grilly......... was " lucky " too cliche?

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

I had a bird hit me probably last summer iirc. It was lucky though, cause it's chest bounced off the windshield and it continued flying