A large turkey vulture dropped out of the sky on the deck of the home of Adam Weber, taking shelter under the table.
"My wife was making breakfast, and she suddenly yelled, 'Adam! A large bird just fell out of the sky!'," said Weber, who lives two blocks north of McKennan Park. "That was the last thing I expected to see when I looked out on the deck yesterday."
Weber, who is a pastor at Embrace Church, said the bird was completely iced over and sat straight upright under the table on the deck. The bird moved around a bit, letting Weber know it was still alive, and allowed him to get close to it to take a photo.
The turkey vulture spent all day under the table, Weber said, and left at some point during the night, as he looked all around the house and didn't see it.
That turkey vulture under the table fared better than a second turkey vulture which fell on the roof of his house. That one, he said, hasn't moved since it fell, so he assumes it's dead.
Weber said he called Animal Control, who told him that they had received several calls about similar incidents in the McKennan Park area. Animal Control officials told him there wasn't much that could be done for the bird.
"I felt bad for the guy, I really did," Weber said. "I hope he's alright."
Sioux Falls Animal Control officer Michael Colwill said wild birds are not able to roost in trees when they are coated with ice, so will stay on the ground until storms pass and they thaw out.
[Hmm, ok, here's an idea. Transport them to an enclosed garage or somewhere so they can warm up, thaw out... and maybe give them some food. I guess that's too much trouble for Animal Control.]
(Argus Leader - April 13, 2013)
