Turkey Vultures

Turkey Vulture

The Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) is probably one of the most misunderstood birds in North America. Some people think they are ugly, but not I (click on photos for full sized images).

Turkey Vulture

Their odd looks serve very important purposes. The adult Turkey Vulture’s head and distal neck is reddish bare skin with blackish bristles, which not only helps keep their heads clean when partaking of a carrion meal, they use that featherless head to help regulate body temperature.

Turkey Vulture

They can tuck their bare heads into their feather collared necks to help keep warm and when they are heat stressed they will increase blood flow to the head, neck and legs which dissipates heat by evaporative cooling1.

Of course they also help regulate their body temperature using their famous spread-winged postures. This is the “extended spread-wing posture”

Turkey Vulture

usually used to warm up in the morning sun or dry the wings, but sometimes it seems, just for fun.

Then there is the “delta wing posture” when Turkey Vultures face the sun and often preen.

Turkey Vulture

Turkey Vultures are known for eating carrion but what some people don’t realize is that, unlike most birds, they have an excellent sense of smell. Because of their extra olfactory powers, many other carrion eating birds like hawks eagles and other vultures follow Turkey Vultures to kills.

Turkey Vulture

This juvenile bird can be identified by its gray head and black-tipped beak.

Turkey Vulture

Here you can see the juvenile and adult on the same perch, the juvie acting submissive.

Turkey Vultures

A little bit later the juvenile gets comfortable, probably with a full crop.

Turkey Vulture

At another carcass, weeks earlier, there were several vultures attending a roadside kill…

Turkey Vultures

there were also some Common Ravens having a bit of fun at their expense.

Can you imagine how many rotting animals we would have on the roadsides if we didn’t have vultures cleaning them up for us? I think Turkey Vultures deserve a lot more respect from we humans and especially birders.

How many times have you been birding when someone thought they spotted a hawk, eagle or other raptor and then acted disappointed when they discovered it was “only a Turkey Vulture.” Come on folks, lets give TVs a fair shake here. They are a very important part of our ecology.

Maybe this video of a vortex of vultures I shot during their fall migration will give you a more positive view of these incredible birds.

References: 1Birds of North America Online

Written by Larry
Larry Jordan was introduced to birding after moving to northern California where he was overwhelmed by the local wildlife, forcing him to buy his first field guide just to be able to identify all the species visiting his yard. Building birdhouses and putting up feeders brought the avian fauna even closer and he was hooked. Larry wanted to share his passion for birds and conservation and hatched The Birder's Report in September of 2007. His recent focus is on bringing the Western Burrowing Owl back to life in California where he also monitors several bluebird trails. He is a BirdLife Species Champion and contributes to several other conservation efforts, being the webmaster for Wintu Audubon Society and the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Urban Bird Foundation. He is now co-founder of a movement to create a new revenue stream for our National Wildlife Refuges with a Wildlife Conservation Pass.