Turkey Vulture

Voice: Turkey vultures, like most other vultures, have very few vocalization capabilities. They can only utter hisses and grunts. They usually hiss when they feel threatened. Grunts are commonly heard from hungry young, and adults in courtship.

Diet/Feeding: The turkey vulture feeds entirely on carrion. This bird soars above the ground for most of the day, searching for food with its excellent eyesight and highly developed sense of smell. The beak and talons of the turkey vulture are the weakest of all the other species. For this reason, the bird will not even catch small prey like his cousin the black vulture. Turkey vultures can often be seen along roadsides, cleaning up roadkill, or near rivers, feasting on washed-up fish, another of their favorite foods.

Flight: The turkey vulture is one of the only birds that fly with their wings in a dihedral (V-shape). They are the most graceful in flight, and can soar for hours at high altitudes without flapping their wings. Their occasional necessary flaps and takeoffs are quite laborious, however, and the birds often fall victim to predators and cars as a result.

Range/Habitat: By far the most widespread of the New World vultures, the turkey vulture can be found throughout the entire United States, north into canada along the east and west coasts, and south into central South America. They prefer open areas, but can be found anywhere from coastlines and deserts to plains and inland forests.

Behavior: The Turkey vulture is well known for its defense tactic of vomiting. When disturbed, this bird will regurgitate its last meal, both surprising its assailant and leaving a smell so putrid that the animal loses interest in pursuing the vulture.

Life Cycle: Young fledge 70 to 80 days after hatching. Sexes appear identical. Immatures have darker heads, and can be confused with the black vulture, from a distance.

Breeding: Turkey vultures do not actually build nests. They choose caves, rock piles, hollow tree stumps, and even cliff ledges. Turkey vultures have also been found laying their eggs in deserted sheds. Turkey vultures can raise only one brood a year, consisting of 1 to 3 blotchy-looking eggs. Both parents share the responsibilities of incubating and caring for the brood. The eggs incubate for 38 to 41 days.

Status: This bird is protected by international Migratory Bird treaties, and its numbers are healthy. It is estimated that turkey vulture populations have grown by 1.79% in recent years. (See the USGS population trend map, located at

Folklore, Misc. Information: Turkey vultures were given their name because their featherless red head gives them the appearance of a turkey.




				Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura


	Size: 25 to 32 inches long, with a wingspan around 6 feet. 6 pounds. Voice: Turkey vultures, like most other vultures, have very few vocalization capabilities. They can only utter hisses and grunts. They usually hiss when they feel threatened. Grunts are commonly heard from hungry young, and adults in courtship. Diet/Feeding: The turkey vulture feeds entirely on carrion. This bird soars above the ground for most of the day, searching for food with its excellent eyesight and highly developed sense of smell. The beak and talons of the turkey vulture are the weakest of all the other species. For this reason, the bird will not even catch small prey like his cousin the black vulture. Turkey vultures can often be seen along roadsides, cleaning up roadkill, or near rivers, feasting on washed-up fish, another of their favorite foods. Flight: The turkey vulture is one of the only birds that fly with their wings in a dihedral (V-shape). They are the most graceful in flight, and can soar for hours at high altitudes without flapping their wings. Their occasional necessary flaps and takeoffs are quite laborious, however, and the birds often fall victim to predators and cars as a result. Range/Habitat: By far the most widespread of the New World vultures, the turkey vulture can be found throughout the entire United States, north into canada along the east and west coasts, and south into central South America. They prefer open areas, but can be found anywhere from coastlines and deserts to plains and inland forests. Behavior: The Turkey vulture is well known for its defense tactic of vomiting. When disturbed, this bird will regurgitate its last meal, both surprising its assailant and leaving a smell so putrid that the animal loses interest in pursuing the vulture. Life Cycle: Young fledge 70 to 80 days after hatching. Sexes appear identical. Immatures have darker heads, and can be confused with the black vulture, from a distance. Breeding: Turkey vultures do not actually build nests. They choose caves, rock piles, hollow tree stumps, and even cliff ledges. Turkey vultures have also been found laying their eggs in deserted sheds. Turkey vultures can raise only one brood a year, consisting of 1 to 3 blotchy-looking eggs. Both parents share the responsibilities of incubating and caring for the brood. The eggs incubate for 38 to 41 days. Status: This bird is protected by international Migratory Bird treaties, and its numbers are healthy. It is estimated that turkey vulture populations have grown by 1.79% in recent years. (See the USGS population trend map, located at http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/htm03/trn2003/tr03250.htm) Folklore, Misc. Information: Turkey vultures were given their name because their featherless red head gives them the appearance of a turkey. A Turkey Vulture in many languages: Latin: Cathartes aura Cherokee: Suli Spanish: Buitre de la cara roja

	Some Other Places to Find Turkey Vulture Information: The Turkey Vulture Society www.vulturesociety.homestead.com Desert USA www.desertusa.com/magdec97/dec_pap/du_tkvulture.html Distribution Maps www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i3250id.html Turkey Vulture www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/birds/turkey.htm US and Canada Distribution www.i-bird.com/Species/TurkeyVulture.htm Turkey Vulture Information www.lpzoo.com/tour/factsheets/birds/turkey_vulture.html Chintimini Wildlife Rehabilitation Center www.proaxis.com/~cwrc/LivingWithWild/WildNatHist/TurVulture.htm Everglades National Park www.nps.gov/ever/eco/vulture.htm Turkey Vulture Information www.kwic.com/~pagodavista/vulture.htm Virtual Bird Field Guide birding.about.com/hobbies/birding/library/fg/blfg-cathartesaura.htm Turkey Vulture Status in Ohio www.aves.net/birds-of-ohio/birdtuvu.htm Turkey Vulture Stamps www.bird-stamps.org/species/28001.htm West Virginia University www.wvu.edu/~raptor/vulture.htm Turkey Vulture www.ornithology.logan.k12.ky.us/Turkey%20Vulture.htm Turkey Vulture www.nps.gov/wica/Turkey%20Vulture.htm Taxonomy biology.clc.uc.edu/graphics/taxonomy/Animals/Aves/Turkey%20Vulture/ Turkey Vulture Information library.thinkquest.org/j0110740/turkey%20vulture.html South Dakota Distribution wfs.sdstate.edu/sdgap/birds/turkey%20vulture.htm Turkey Vulture Info www.wildencounters.com/turkey%20vulture%20nfo.htm Annual Distribution www.fnal.gov/ecology/wildlife/specs/Turkey_Vulture.html Turkey Vulture Page www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/kids/kidswildlifesite/birds/ raptors/turkeyvulture.htm Coal Creek Wildlife bvsd.k12.co.us/schools/coalc/wildlife/vulture.html - 4k eNature.com www.enature.com/fieldguide/showSpeciesGS.asp?curGroupID=1&curPageNum=6 Species Account www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Birds/MMMN/English/a_turkeyvulture.html More http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i3250id.html http://www.desertusa.com/magdec97/dec_pap/du_tkvulture.html http://www.buteo.com/tvulture.html http://www.adoptabird.org/tv.html http://wildwnc.org/af/turkeyvulture.html http://www.valleywild.org/TVfacts.htm http://www.saltgrassflats.com/birds/turkey_vulture.html http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/birds/turkey.htm http://www.shout.net/~walker/birdwalker/species/turvul.html http://www.chintiminiwildlife.org/LivingWithWild/WildNatHist/TurVulture.htm http://www.nps.gov/ever/eco/vulture.htm http://www.ohionature.org/animals/igor.html http://www.nenature.com/TurkeyVulture.htm http://www.calmzoo.org/stories/storyReader$182 http://www.hawk-conservancy.org/priors/turkeyvul.shtml http://webserv.nhl.nl/~ribot/english/caau_ng.htm http://www3.gov.ab.ca/srd/fw/watch/large_turkey.html http://www.imperial.cc.ca.us/birds/tvulture.htm http://www.raptorrehab.org/raptors/tv.htm http://www.wildlifeprairiestatepark.org/animalpages/Turkey_Vulture.htm