Count Background and History
Over the years, sightings by residents, birders and field
biologists have indicated that tens of thousands of turkey
vultures regularly use the relatively low elevation of the
Tehachapi Grade as a passage on their migrations to seasonal
ranges. Drawing on the experience and protocols of the Southern
Sierra Research Center (which has been conducting bird migration
counts since 1993), the TMBC began its own program in the
fall of 1999, selecting the turkey vulture's winter migration
path when the birds come through the area in the greatest
concentration.
The count traditionally goes from Sept. 1st to October 20th;
in the first year 20,042 turkey vultures were counted during
that period. The following year 38,953 vultures were counted,
and in 2001 31,168 were counted. The 2002 count recorded 36,435
migrating Turkey Vultures.
To verify these numbers and to provide meaningful statistics
over a longer period the TMBC will continue the annual counts
over the next several years. Club volunteers contributed 597
hours to this effort in 2000, and contributed 848 hours the
following year.
A report with detailed statistics from the count is sent
to the Turkey
Vulture Society, the Audubon California – Kern
River Preserve, and the Point
Reyes Bird Observatory (who publishes it in their semi-annual
Hawk Migration issue). Copies of the report are also distributed
to well-known hawk and migration biologists around the country.
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