Vultures can be seen throughout Florida, whether soaring in the air or feeding on the ground, visitor or resident, we have all encountered vultures in Florida. We actually have two species of vultures in Florida, the black vulture and the turkey vulture. While they may seem clumsy and not the most attractive birds, they play a critical role in our ecosystem. Learn how to tell these two species apart and the importance of these birds to our natural world.

Learn More:

• Black Vulture - https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/black-vulture
• Turkey Vulture - https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/turkey-vulture

• Vultures: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/birds/raptors-and-vultures/vultures/
• Black Vulture or Turkey Vulture? That Is the Question: https://youtu.be/S-XcSqcpBpI?si=4c1FObJAVCkpqzMb

How You Can Help:

• Respect their space, they are doing a critically important job that none of us want to do. Let them do their work 😉

• Share this episode with a family member, colleague, neighbor or friend. Help us share the love for this keystone species.

Sources:

• Do Vultures Find Dead Animals By Smell or By Tracking Predators Or Scavengers On The Ground? https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/do-vultures-find-dead-animals-by-smell-or-by-tracking-predators-or-scavengers-on-the-ground/

• Vulture-cattle interactions at a central Florida ranch - Vulture-cattle interactions at a central Florida ranch

• Gamecock Scientists Say “Vultures Need Love” - Gamecock Scientists Say “Vultures Need Love” - Jax State News

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend who might enjoy learning about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here!

If you're active on iNaturalist, join our iNaturalist project, Naturally Florida's Listener Observations, here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/naturally-florida-s-listener-observations⁠⁠⁠

• We just did an episode on trees two months ago, but they are such a critical part of our ecosystems, it’s hard not to talk about them. Today, we thought it would be fun to focus in on the oaks. Oaks are found throughout Florida and play a critical role providing ecosystem services and wildlife benefits. Learn More:

• • Florida’s Oaks - https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/trees/florida-oaks/

  • The Little Oaks – Part I: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/2019/07/11/the-little-oaks-part-i/

  • The Little Oaks – Part II: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/2019/08/12/the-little-oaks-part-ii/

  Previous Episodes Referenced:

  • Stormwater Episode: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-does-rain-go-after-it-falls/id1573268305?i=1000526291174 ⁠

  • Intro to Urban Forestry Episode: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trees-and-people-an-intro-to-urban-forestry/id1573268305?i=1000533017933 ⁠

  How You Can Help:

  • Take advantage of oak leaf fall by utilizing the leaves as mulch - https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/polkco/2021/03/06/fallen-oak-leaves-make-a-great-mulch/

  • Get your tree checked out by a certified arborist and setup a pruning plan! ⁠https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist/findanarborist⁠

  • Consider planting an oak, but make sure you plant the right tree in the right place - https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/trees/oak-trees/

  Sources:

  • Oak Forest Ecosystems: Ecology and Management for Wildlife - https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=tcH8EAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA182&dq=benefits+of+acorns&ots=WALVLyqyi5&sig=mhZ24zuxMYjsasR4GxUBTxpAuTA#v=onepage&q=benefits%20of%20acorns&f=false

  • Abscission - https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/abscission

On today's episode, you'll hear about a few of our non-native lizards and learn about the complexity of when a species may or may not be called invasive.

Learn more:

• The Invasion Curve: A Tool for Understanding Invasive Species Management in South Florida - https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW392

• "Ticks and Tickborne Illness in Florida" (a Naturally Florida podcast episode): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticks-and-tickborne-illness-in-florida/id1573268305?i=1000621364386
• Naturally Florida Podcast Explains - Invasive Species: ⁠https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/2025/02/14/naturally-florida-podcast-explains-invasive-species/

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How you can help:

• Report Sightings of Nonnative Species: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/report/
• Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator Search: https://app.myfwc.com/hgm/nwt/nwtsearch.aspx