BEATRICE
Species: Coragyps atratus, Black Vulture • Hatch Year: 2021 • Sex: Female • Disability: Human Imprint
Beatrice was transferred to American Eagle Foundation from a local rehabilitator early in 2021. She was only a few months old. Unfortunately, Bea received a lot of human contact early in her life and was unable to be safely released back into the wild. Her comfort and ease around humans however has given her a leg up in life as an educational ambassador! Beatrice is housed at Dollywood and will be starring in our Wings of America show there. She LOVES hanging around people, playing with toys and is always willing to participate in her training sessions. Bea is a very intelligent bird and seems to thrive off human interaction – she has quickly become a staff favorite!
ABOUT THIS SPECIES
Vultures often build their nests on the ground, and as one of the most intelligent and curious raptors in America, chicks like to explore their surroundings. Vultures can be found hovering above farmlands, forests, plains, and roadways searching and scavenging for dead animals (and sometimes vegetation) to dine on. Many people think that Vultures are ugly, but they are actually very beautiful and graceful when soaring through the sky!
Vultures do not have a voice box like other raptors. A hissing or grunting sound is the only vocal noise a vulture will make. In addition to hissing, a vulture will sometimes throw up on a potential threat, a defense mechanism called ‘projectile vomiting.’