Cathartes aura
Turkey Vultures are masters of using updrafts and thermals: they are capable of teasing lift from the skies, even when all other soaring birds are grounded. With their wings angled slightly upward, Turkey Vultures rock from side to side, catching rising air as they migrate along the slopes of the Rockies. The head of a Turkey Vulture is naked, and as a result, the bacteria and parasites they encounter while digging in rotting carcasses can be easily cleaned off. Vultures eat carrion almost exclusively; their bills and feet are not designed to crush or to kill living animals. Vultures are renowned for their ability to regurgitate their food, which allows parents to transport food to their young and also enables heavy adults to 'lighten up' for a quick take-off. Recent genetic studies have shown that the American vultures are most closely related to storks, not hawks and falcons. |
I.D.: Sexes similar: very large, all-black bird. Adult: small, featherless, red head. Immature: gray head. In flight: silver-gray flight feathers; black wing linings; wings are held in a shallow V; head barely visible; tilts when it soars. Size: L 26-32 in. (66-81 cm); W 68-72 in. (173-183 cm). Range: common migrant at low elevations in the central and southern U.S. Rockies; uncommon summer resident elsewhere in the U.S. Rockies; rare in the Canadian Rockies. Habitat: forages over open grasslands, shrublands and agricultural fields. Nesting: on a cliff ledge, in a cave crevice or among boulders in mountain slopes; no nest material is used; female lays 2 dull-white eggs on bare ground; pair incubates the eggs for up to 41 days. Feeding: entirely on carrion: ungulates, carnivores, rabbits, fish, domestic animals and rodents; young are fed by regurgitation; vultures are especially abundant when farmers cut crops. Voice: generally silent; occasionally produces a hrss or grunt when threatened. Similar Species: Golden Eagle and Bald Eagle: wings are held flat in profile; do not rock when soaring; larger heads. |
