TOP STORY: Is that a frozen dead turkey vulture on top of the radio tower?"

Jason e-mails Mr. Answer Person:  A dead vulture has been placed at the top of the cell phone tower on top of Park Street in an attempt to stop the vultures from roosting there.  Apparently the neighbors consider them a nuisance.  Here's my question:  Why would a community that celebrates one large, native bird species allow another large, native bird species to be driven away because a few people don't want them in their back yard?  If 50 bald eagles roosted on the cell phone tower, would we allow a bald eagle to be killed and hung there if people complained?  I highly doubt it.  Is it possible to research the reason for the action and let the public know about it?  I find it amazingly hypocritical for a 'bird loving' community such as ours."

Mr. Answer Person says: "Not only is it a dead turkey vulture on top the Park Street cell phone tower, it's a frozen dead turkey vulture.

You are correct that the Park Street neighbors were complaining about the turkey vultures.  But it wasn't just the nusiance--apparently there was a lot of...ahem....output from the turkey vultures.  That was not only unsightly, it was causing problems for the cell phone tower.

So the The United States Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services specialists were consulted on methods to deter turkey vulture excrement from falling on people and homes.  (Note: Mr. Answer Person's earlier response that the Iowa DNR was consulted was FALSE--it was the USDA)  The specialists recommended sticking a dead turkey vulture on top of the radio tower.  (For more information, visit http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage) 

It is important to point out that turkey vultures might look ugly, but they are a protected species, so shooting one is against the law.  However, an already-dead turkey vulture was procured from out of a freezer somewhere (Mr. Answer Person, alas, has not been able to determine who has frozen turkey vultures stored in their freezer).

On Monday morning a worker climbed the cell phone tower and placed the frozen bird on top of the tower.  It apparently is working--the turkey vultures seem to be avoiding the cell phone tower!