Turkey vultures are essential scavengers that are frequently misunderstood, harassed, and displaced from urban roosts despite their ecological value in waste removal and disease prevention.
Turkey vultures subjected to roost harassment experience repeated acute stress responses from sudden stimuli — explosions, lights, and effigies. The repeated nature of commercial hazing programs means birds cycle through stress and displacement without resolution. Birds forced from established roosts may face energy costs of finding new sites and disruption of social bonds. The ecologically valuable service these birds provide makes welfare-conscious management approaches especially important.