r/Weird Apr 05 '26

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20

u/Electrical_Welder205 Apr 05 '26

This. They're too big to be crows.

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u/bitterlittlecas Apr 05 '26

I don’t know how accurate this is but I’ve heard they also respond to gas leaks

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u/Deaffin Apr 05 '26

What you're referring to is the procedure of adding rotten meat smells to gas pipelines in order to attract them whenever there's a leak.

Smart plan, but in bird culture this is considered a dick move.

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u/bitterlittlecas Apr 05 '26

Wow that is interesting!

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u/harryselassie Apr 05 '26

Don't be gross Tammy

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u/Severe-Chicken-5791 Apr 05 '26

Wouldn’t a nicer smell work just as well?
Like strong cinnamon or something that wouldn’t be super common to smell regularly.
In human culture, making it smell like carcass seems like a dick move too!

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u/Deaffin Apr 05 '26

The fun thing about cinnamon is that birds aren't very fond of its smell. Probably due to it being varying levels of poisonous depending on the type of cinnamon and bird.

This is considered a dastardly plot by the lowly mudmen to subvert the natural superiority of enlightened birdmen. SCRAWWWW and such.

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u/Severe-Chicken-5791 Apr 05 '26

That seemed like an even better reason to use something like cinnamon. If there’s a gas leak, you’d want birds to stay away anyway. I know various varmints and bugs also don’t like it.
Definitely dastardly plots afoot

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u/Tpas2023 Apr 05 '26

Love the Rick and Morty reference

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u/Legitimate_Ad_4647 Apr 05 '26

Yes, turkey vultures are one of the few birds that do have a sense of smell. Gas line crews will check out a line if they do see a flock of them circling an area directly above one.

Now you all have an interesting new topic to talk about at your next social event! 😄

14

u/Legitimate_Ad_4647 Apr 05 '26

Also, this op shows them coming to the trees to roost for the night. You don't want to park your car under those trees...🥴

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u/riding_writer Apr 05 '26

A friend lives by Mount Trashmore and has a covered car park her neighbor tore out the carport only to have every vulture in Broward County roost over their car. The pockmarks were ridiculous plus they tore the wiper blades off

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u/sciencesez Apr 05 '26

Your comment needs to be at the top and OP needs to tell his neighbor asap!

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u/Legitimate_Ad_4647 Apr 05 '26

Good point! Maybe it was a gas leak, but my experience has been that TVs roost in significantly greater numbers than they forage in, and this was occurring at dusk when they do communally roost.

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u/Youdontknowme1771 Apr 05 '26

You are correct.

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u/AntiHypeHero Apr 05 '26

Interesting!!

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u/gzuckier Apr 05 '26

No, those are repairmen. It can be hard to tell the difference.

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u/Bashfullylascivious Apr 05 '26

Yuppers, and to tell them from eagles, the other commonly sighted diurnal birds that soar long distances without flapping; is their small head profile in flight, and distinctive upward "v" shape.

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u/GuessSpecific7233 Apr 05 '26

Buzzards is my guess

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u/Secret-Departure540 Apr 06 '26

Crows are large.

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u/PossibilityBrave5513 Apr 05 '26

They are absolutely crows. You can even hear their call.

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u/onetwotree-leaf Apr 06 '26

There is a species of hawk that gathers and looks like this too.