Binghamton Zoo Animals

Turkey Vulture

(Cathartes aura)
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Cathartidae
Genus: Cathartes
Species: Cathartes aura

HABITAT AND RANGE: They prefer mainly deciduous forests and woodlands, especially those near open fields that can be used as hunting grounds. They range over all of the Americas except northern Canada.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS: A large, eagle sized bird that is frequently seen soaring in thermal updrafts. The wings are very large and have a grey to silvery lining. The tail is long and square, and fits snugly between the closed wings. The head is small, free of feathers, and reddish in color. On the ground, it is very awkward, and it frequently hops clumsily. Adults are 25 to 32 inches high and have a wingspan of 72 inches. As it flies, the wings are slightly upturned, making a shallow ‘V’ shape.

ADAPTATIONS: Turkey vultures have a very good sense of smell and keen eyesight for finding food. Some migration may occur during the winter months. Turkey vultures rely on their soaring ability, vision, and sense of smell to find carrion because its legs and talons are too weak to actually kill prey animals. The bare head is an adaptation to prevent feather clinging parasites from attaching and infecting the bird’s head.

DIET: Turkey vultures are unable to kill most prey animals, so they must eat what chance provides them. As soon as an animal can no longer move, it becomes food for the vultures. They are primarily scavengers and eat carrion, but have been also seen to kill newborn pigs, herons, and ibises.

REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT: Females usually lay 2 creamy white eggs marked with black to brown splotches in a ‘nest’ located on precipitous cliffs, in caves, hollow stumps, crevices in rocks, or dense shrubbery to limit attacks by enemies. There is no actual nest other than the hollow depression. Nothing is done to the nest to make it ‘soft’. Frequently the same nests are used year to year. Both sexes share incubation which lasts 30 days. The young birds are born with their eyes open and covered with a long, cottony white down. Fledging occurs in about 9 weeks.

STATUS IN WILD: Common