Turkey Vulture

Turkey Vulture, Everglades, FL.

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

Although it has an ugly, bare-skinned face, the Turkey Vulture is beautiful on the wing. Seldom does this graceful and talented bird flap its wings as it soars over large areas searching for carrion.

Description

• Large soaring bird.
• Long wings and tail.
• Body feathers entirely blackish-brown.
• Red head mostly unfeathered.

• Size: 64-81 cm (25-32 in)
• Wingspan: 170-178 cm (67-70 in)
• Weight: 2000 g (70.6 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes appear similar, but female slightly larger.

Sound

Usually silent. Makes hiss at carcasses, roosts, and nest.

Conservation Status

Overall North American populations have increased over the last few decades and the breeding range has expanded northward.

Other Names

Urubu à tête rouge, Vautour (French)
Zopilote Aura, Aura cabecirroja (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The Turkey Vulture uses its sense of smell to locate carrion. The part of its brain responsible for processing smells is particularly large, compared to other birds. Its heightened ability to detect odors allows it to find dead animals below a forest canopy.

• The Turkey Vulture maintains stability and lift at low altitudes by holding its wings up in a slight dihedral (V-shape) and teetering from side to side while flying. It flies low to the ground to pick up the scent of dead animals.

• Like its stork relatives, the Turkey Vulture often defecates on its own legs, using the evaporation of the water in the feces to cool itself down.

• The Turkey Vulture usually forages alone, unlike its smaller, more social relative, the Black Vulture. Although one Turkey Vulture can dominate a single Black Vulture at a carcass, usually such a large number of Black Vultures appear that they can overwhelm a solitary Turkey Vulture and take most of the food.

Sources used to construct this page:

Kirk, D. A., and M. J. Mossman. 1998. Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura). In The Birds of North America, No. 339 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.