Turkey Vulture
Fast Facts
What do they look like?
Turkey vultures are large birds weighing 2-5 pounds with a wingspan of up to 6 feet.
Those found farther north tend to be larger than their counterparts in tropical regions.
Their bodies are covered in brownish-black feathers, with their flight feathers revealing a
grayish color underneath. Their feet are flat, relatively weak, and poor at grasping. Turkey
vultures have relatively small, red heads that are not covered in feathers. The bald head of
a turkey vulture allows it to keep itself clean when eating a carcass.
How do they behave?
Common Name: Turkey Vulture
Scientific Name:
Turkey vultures roost communally, but typically forage independently throughout the day
and are often seen with flocks of black vultures. They move awkwardly on the ground,
walking or hopping unsteadily. Like other large flighted birds, turkey vultures use thermal
air currents while in flight to soar for long periods of time without expending much
energy. Turkey vultures do not make many vocalizations, but will hiss, grunt, and
squabble over meals.
Cathartes aura
What’s on the menu?
Family: Cathartidae
Order:
Incertae sedis (disputed)
Class: Aves
Range: North and South America
Vultures primarily feed on carrion, or dead animals. Although most birds do not have a
well-developed sense of smell, vultures have an acute sense of smell in addition to a great
sense of sight to locate food sources. These birds will gorge themselves by consuming
large amounts of food at a time, so much in fact that they may become too heavy to fly. If
a predator approaches when the bird is weighed down with a large meal, the turkey
vulture vomits. They may simply vomit to become light enough to flee from the situation
and/or the regurgitated food may be eaten by the predator as a distraction while the bird
flies away. After the threat has passed, the vulture often returns to re-consume the
regurgitated matter. Occasionally, turkey vultures may also feed on stranded seashore
invertebrates, insects, vegetation, and crops. At the Zoo, they eat rats, mice, quail, chicks,
and ground pork meat.
How are they born?
Habitat:
Forests, scrublands, and
deserts
Up to 16 years in the wild;
Up to 20 years in captivity; Oldest
on record was 37 years
Lifespan:
Conservation Status:
Stable
Turkey vultures nest on cliffs, on the ground, or in caves. They do not form typical nests,
but rather just scratch away substrate to create an indentation. They lay one clutch of 1-3
cream-colored, speckled eggs per year. Both the male and female incubate the eggs and
care for the young. Eggs are incubated for approximately 40 days and the babies hatch
with white down feathers and dark grey heads. The young birds fledge 70 to 80 days after
hatching. By the time the vultures approach their first birthday, their dark grey heads turn
the characteristically red color.
Why do they sit in the sun?
Overnight, the turkey vultures’ temperature can drop several degrees to save energy.
Turkey vultures sit in the sun with their wings stretched in the morning to raise their body
temperature. They also sit in the sun after eating to allow the sun to dry and “cook” any
leftover meat on their bodies, ridding themselves of potentially harmful bacteria. They
also urinate on their legs to clean themselves as well!
Why are placed in the Order “Incertae sedis”?
Incertae sedis means “uncertain placement.” Turkey vultures used to be classified with
other vultures. However, there is much debate about their closest relatives. Old World
vultures are from Africa, Europe, and Asia while New World vultures are from the
Americas. There are six species of New World vultures and it is unclear if they are truly
related to Old World vultures.