It is always a thrill for me when someone calls with a wildlife sighting or event in our community. A lady called and said there were vultures spending the night in Great Bend. This roosting tree is at 18th & Harrison in the back yard of a residence.  There are about 20 birds using that tree.
I startled the lady of the house with a big camera lens sticking out my car window pointed in the direction of her home. This is a  real issue with photography in urban areas. That location is close to a school and parents have very legitimate concerns.  I certainly applaud her decision to find out about my camera.  The slanted evening light makes this bird look it’s best. They are still pretty ugly birds.
We had a “roosting tree” in Hoisington right on Highway 281 by the Rotomix facility for a few years that has now been abandoned.
These are pretty terrific birds in spite of their appearance. The sensory part of their brain is larger  than that of other birds, and they can smell carrion from at least a mile away. They wobble around at low altitude sniffing out a meal. They prefer fresh meat, but their constitution is such that they can consume and digest rotting meat that has a lot of nasty bacteria with no ill effects.
That makes them a very helpful part of our world to clean up messes along roads & such. They do have limits-- it is reported that they avoid the scent sacs of dead skunks. There are 23 species of vultures. When Pat Cale and I were in Africa, we saw some elegant and beautiful vultures diving into the carcasses of dead critters. The “old world” vultures are striking in appearance and worthy of a Google search.
These birds do lack some “aesthetics”. Their bald head prevents bacteria from invading feathered areas when they dig into a carcass. Their stomach acid is very strong which protects them from bacteria in rotting meat. They urinate on their feet as a form of air conditioning.
A couple of myths need to be addressed. They don’t prey on healthy farm animals. A lot have been shot due that mistaken idea. The movies show vultures circling over people or critters not yet dead. They don’t waste time in that pursuit. There are usually better meals already on the ground.
These birds are social and gather in groups to roost. It is pretty neat to see them in our community.
Doc Witt is a retired physician and avid outdoorsmen.