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Turkey Vulture
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Turkey vultures are widely found in North America and are also known as turkey buzzards. The adult turkey
vultures can weigh up to 3 kilos, reaching the length of 60 to 85cm. The wingspan of the vultures can be about 2 meters. The name turkey is given to them due to the bald, red head that closely resembles that of a wild turkey. Their feet closely resembles the feet of a chicken, which they cannot use them to lift or carry food. Instead, their feet are especially designed to hold food in place while eating.
They generally prefer wide open spaces, especially coastline, deserts and plains. However, they can live in a wide range of habitats, including tropical and temperate forests and grasslands. Vancouver Island has a large population of Turkey Vultures and if you look up on any warm day, you more than likely will see them riding the thermal air currants high in the sky.
Vultures are basically scavengers, that feed on carrion or carcasses of dead animals. They usually thrust their heads inside the carcass. The fact that their head is bald keeps it clean while eating.
Turkey vultures have an extraordinary sense of smell, which enables them to find out a dead animal within 24 hours of its death. They are also empowered with sharp eye sight, which helps them to search out food. If need arises, turkey vultures can also live on vegetation.
Turkey vultures usually lay 1 to 3 eggs in a year in the spring season. The incubation period is generally 38 to 41 days, after which the eggs hatch. All the responsibilities for incubating as well as caring the young ones, are shared by the both parents. The young ones become capable of flying within 70 to 80 days after they hatch. Turkey vultures do not build nest for laying eggs; instead they lay eggs in caves or on the ground. An adult turkey vulture can live up to 16 years in wild, while in captivity, they can survive till 30.Turkey vultures have limited vocalization capabilities, as they do not have vocal organs. Their vocalization capabilities are restricted to making hisses and grunts. A hiss is made when they sense danger and feel threatened. On the other hand, a grunt is made either when they are hungry or while courting. One of the most interesting turkey vulture facts is that it is a very gentle and non aggressive bird. It basically uses vomiting as means of self defense. So, whenever the bird feels threatened by a predator, it throws up semi digested food. The foul smell of the semi digested food forces the predators to move away from it. At the same time, the body weight of the bird gets reduced due to vomiting, which allows it to fly away quickly.
Another peculiar fact about turkey vulture is that it urinates on its legs. As the vulture does not perspire like human, the act of urinating on the legs helps it to cool itself in summer. At the same time, the strong acids of its urine kill bacteria on the legs. The legs come in contact with bacteria when the bird treads on the dead and decaying animal bodies that it eats. Turkey vultures are often observed sitting in the trees, with their wings spread. They do it to warm their body and dry their wings. However, it also helps them to destroy the bacteria, by baking them off in the hot sun.While driving in the woods with my family one day, we came across a group of vultures feeding on a deer carcass, we were able to get within 3 meters of these birds. The smell was so bad that we had to hold our breath. It was incredible to watch these birds feeding.
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.jpg "Turkey Vulture, Photo By Bud")
.jpg "Turkey Vulture, Photo By Bud")
.jpg "Turkey Vulture, Photo By Bud")