Turkey Vulture

The Turkey Vulture is distinguished for its hissing sounds and is also known as the Turkey Buzzard in North America. This scavenger is also known as one of the largest birds in North America. The bird may not be considered by many to be a pretty bird and although it has a bare skinned face, it has beautiful wings and looks very graceful when it soars across the blue skies.

Description of the Turkey Vulture:

The female is generally larger in size than the male Turkey Vulture. This is a rather large bird that is black in color and has beautiful long wings with a longish tail to match as well. The feathers of the Turkey Vulture are blackish brown in color. The flight feathers seen on the wings are a shade of silver-gray on the underneath. On an average, the adult Turkey Vulture is around 66-81 cms in length and has a wingspan of about 173-183 cm. The weight of the Turkey Vulture can be said to be approximately around 1.4 kg.

The head of a Turkey Vulture appears smaller in size as compared to its whole body. The head is reddish in color and is almost bare skinned. The eyes of this bird are a shade of grayish brown. The upper lid has one row of eyelashes where as the lower lids have two. The Turkey Vulture has a hooked bill, which is ivory in color. The feet of the Turkey Vulture are flat and are not really well suited to grasp. The frontal two toes are long and also have a small web at their base. The legs and the feet of the Turkey Vulture are pinkish in color.

Behavior Pattern of the Turkey Vulture:

This bird is not really aggressive in nature and loves to soar across the sky. Generally, around hundreds of Turkey Vultures may roost together in groups. These birds are known to roost on dead trees or even in caves. The first form of self defense for this bird is by regurgitating the semi digested food, which causes a foul smell. This fouls smell prevents many predators from approaching the nest of this mighty bird. Another strange factor of the Turkey bird is the process of defecating on its own legs. Such a kind of behavior has also been noticed in storks. This is primarily done so that it creates a cooling effect on the legs and for the body as well.

The Turkey Vulture is also seen standing with its wings spread out. This is known as the spread winged stance. There are various reasons why the Turkey Vulture uses this pose often; it helps the bird to dry its wings, which also helps it to warm its body. It also helps to get rid of the bacteria. This bird can be distinguished because of its soaring habits and it also does not always flap the wings for flight. Instead, it uses the rising thermals to keep soaring. The Turkey Vulture communicates with the help of hissing sounds. This is generally expressed when they feel threatened.

Habitat of the Turkey Vulture:

The Turkey Vulture is known to prefer wide-open spaces and can also be found near coastlines as well. This bird can be found in many areas of America; from the Southern side of Canada to Cape horn. Some birds prefer to migrate to South America at times. This bird is also found in the forests and desert areas. The open land may also be required because the Turkey Vulture has to make a lot of efforts before it takes flight. It needs to flap its large wings and hop about. When in flight, the wings form the shape of a V.

Diet Habits of the Turkey Vulture:

The Turkey Vulture very rarely kills its own prey. These birds are often seen feeding on fish that are washed up on the shore or even insects. They also feed on small mammals. It has a special ability to be able to locate a certain gas that is produced by decaying animals. This habit of the Turkey Vulture makes it such an important part of the ecosystem. It generally soars for a larger part of the day and uses its excellent eyesight along with the sense of smell to locate the food.

Breeding of the Turkey Vulture:

The breeding period for the Turkey Vulture begins from the month of March and goes on till the month of June. On an average, the female Turkey Vulture lays around 2 eggs, which are cream in color. Both parents look after young chicks once they hatch. To be able to get a prospective mate, the Turkey Vulture follows some set patterns such as gathering in a circle and hopping around which is followed by flapping of the wings.

The population of the Turkey Vulture seems to have seen an increase in the past few years. Let us hope that these birds do not ever face the danger of being extinct.