Dr. Stuart Houston, Mary Houston and Turkey Vultures

Just north of Russell, at the Shellmouth Dam, we found about a dozen Turkey Vultures perching and flying near the dam (top two photos show several of these birds).

While in Saskatoon, July 4, we stopped in to visit with Dr. Stuart Houston and his wife Mary. Stuart has become, in recent years, a world leading expert on Turkey Vultures. Together with a team of people he has been putting wing markers and satellite transmitters on Turkey Vultures in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

In the last two decades there has been a major increase in the number of Turkey Vultures on the prairies. While historically these birds nested in caves in cliffs (which are not common on the prairies), they are now nesting in abandoned farmhouses (and sadly these are now quite common). Perhaps because of the increase in potential nest sites and perhaps for other reasons, the Turkey Vulture population on the prairies has been increasing. According to Stuart the region around the Shellmouth Dam has seen one of the largest increases.

From the wing markers and transmitters, Stuart and his team have found Saskatchewan Turkey Vultures wintering in Costa Rica and Venezuela. At present, they have the only current Turkey Vulture wing tapping program in North America. They have the only nestling carrying a satellite transmitter (tagged west of Leoville, Saskatchewan, wintered in Costa Rica and then summered in Nebraska the following summer). And they have the only two adult vultures captures on their nest carrying GPS transmitters providing hourly reports of locations with a 10 m accuracy.

If you see a Turkey Vulture with a wing marker, please email Stuart Houston at houstons@duke.usask.ca

Mary Houston, it should be noted, was recently given an award for her volunteer service, the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal. For more details see http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:JZURW3UMwWsJ:www.gov.sk.ca/newsrel/releases/2006/05/01-350-attachment.pdf+Saskatchewan+Volunteer+Medal+-+Mary+Houston&hl=en&gl=ca&ct=clnk&cd=1