>> Matt: WELL, THIS LOOKS LIKE A SCENE FROM AN ALFRED HITCHCOCK MOVIE "THE BIRDS."
HUNDREDS OF VULTURES HAVE
INVADED A CENTRAL FLORIDA
NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE BIG BIRDS ARE CAUSING
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF DAMAGE
TO HOMES AND CARS.
>> Lisa: PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE
COMMUNITY FEAR THE VULTURES
COULD POSE A HEALTH RISK TO
THEIR FAMILIES.
NEWS 6 INVESTIGATOR MIKE
DeFOREST JOINS US LIVE FROM
TUTOR GROVE IN TIMBER SPRINGS IN
EAST ORANGE COUNTY.
DO WE KNOW HOW MANY VULTURES ARE
EVEN OUT THERE?
>> Reporter: THE NUMBERS OF
BIRDS FLUCTUATE THROUGHOUT THE
DAY.
ONE HOMEOWNER ESTIMATES THERE’S
200 TO 300 AT TIMES.
RIGHT NOW, THERE’S A DOZEN OR SO
ALONG THE BANKS OF THE POND
HERE.
LOOK ACROSS THE POND AND YOU CAN
SEE A COUPLE MORE DOZEN SITTING
ON TOP OF THE HOUSES AND EVEN
MORE VULTURES AROUND THE CORNER
FROM WHERE WE’RE STANDING.
SOME BELIEVE THE HOMEOWNERS
ASSOCIATION SHOULD HIRE A
WILDLIFE REMOVAL COMPANY TO
HUMANELY REMOVE THE VULTURES BUT
THE H.O.A. SAYS THAT’S NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.
>> WE GET WOKEN UP EARLY IN THE
MORNING BECAUSE THE BIRDS LAND
AND TAKE OFF ON OUR ROOF.
>> Reporter: UNTIL RECENTLY,
VULTURES RARELY VISITED THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD. >> IT WAS NON-EXISTENT WHEN WE
MOVED IN.
>> Reporter: A YEAR AGO, THEY
STARTED FILLING THE SKIES OVER
THEIR COMMUNITY.
>> YOU COME OUT AND YOU MAKE
YOUR FIRST CUP OF COFFEE AND
THERE’S BIRDS EVERYWHERE.
IT’S LIKE, OH, MY GOD, AND YOU
COME HOME AT NIGHT AFTER A
10-HOUR, 12-HOUR DAY AT WORK,
IT’S LIKE, OH, GOD, THEY’RE HERE
AGAIN.
>> Reporter: THE COUPLE BELIEVES
NEW DEVELOPMENT IN EAST ORANGE
COUNTY HAS PUSHED THE MIGRATORY
BIRDS FROM THEIR PREVIOUS HOMES.
NOW HUNDREDS OF VULTURES ARE
ROOSTING HERE AND MAKING A MESS.
>> THEY REGURGITATED EVERYWHERE
AND POOPED EVERYWHERE.
>> Reporter: THEY’VE SPENT MORE
THAN A THOUSAND FOR THE SCREEN
ON THEIR PULLEN --
>> WE JUST WANT THE BIRDS RELOCATED. >> Reporter: HOPING TO GET
RESULTS, THE WRIGHTS CONTACTED A
WILDLIFE REMOVAL COMPANY TO SET
UP DETERRENTS.
THE COST IS A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
THEY FORWARDED THE INFORMATION
TO THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION
BUT THE H.O.A. HAS REFUSED TO
PAY FOR IT.
>> WE DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY THE
H.O.A. CAN’T HELP US OR AT LEAST
LEND A HAND IN TRYING TO
ERADICATE THE BIRDS FROM THE
COMMON AREA.
>> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT OF
THE TUDOR GROVE AT TIMBER
SPRINGS H.O.A. TELLS NEWS 6 WE
CERTAINLY SYMPATHIZE WITH THE
HOMEOWNERS, BUT WE LEARNED THE
EFFORTS ARE NOT A GUARANTEED
SOLUTION.
AND THE H.O.A. ATTORNEY ADVISED
THE BOARD THE RESPONSIBILITY TO
REMEDY THE PROBLEM LAY WITH THE
INDIVIDUALLY AFFECTED HOMEOWNERS
AND NOT WITH THE ASSOCIATION.
>>> NOW THE WRIGHTS BELIEVE IT
WOULD BE INEFFECTIVE FOR A FEW
HOMEOWNERS TO SET UP THOSE
HOMEOWNERS TO SET UP THOSE VULTURE DETERRENTS .
THE H.O.A. PRESIDENT SAID THEY CANNOT USE FUNDS TO HELP.
>> Matt: COULD THE VULTURES
MAYBE LEAVE THE AREA ON THEIR
OWN, MIKE?
>> Reporter: IT’S CERTAINLY
POSSIBLE.
I THINK A LOT OF HOMEOWNERS ARE
HOPING THAT WILL EVENTUALLY
HAPPEN.
UNTIL IT DOES, IF IT DOES,
PEOPLE LIKE THE WRIGHTS SAY THEY
CAN’T REALLY USE THEIR BACKYARD.
THEY DON’T LIKE GOING IN THEIR
SWIMMING POOLS BECAUSE OF THE
MESS AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY
SAY THE DAMAGE JUST KEEPS
GROWING.
>> Lisa: WOW, THAT IS AWFUL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MIKE.
YOU REALLY FEEL FOR THOSE PEOPLE
WHO ARE LIVING THERE.
THE HOMES ARE BEAUTIFUL, THE
AREA IS BEAUTIFUL BUT THEN YOU
HAVE ALL THOSE VULTURES.
>> Matt: IT’S NOT THE BIRD
WATCHING BIRDS, NOT LIKE A BUNCH
OF MACAWS HANGING AROUND.