Turkey Vulture
There is a great mystery and misconception about the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), Is is an important scavenger bird that can be found in most ecosystems.
This bird is widespread in most of the Americas and can be identified because it has a naked scarlet head, large wings, and a dignified way of flying. Well maybe their diet is not the most eye pleasing of all, the Turkey Vulture plays a significant role in other ecological niche since it helps in clearing carcasses hence reducing the spread of diseases.
This article aims at reviewing the main aspects of physiologic characteristics, Anatidae life preferences and feeding habits of Turkey Vulture.
Physical Characteristics: A Master of the Skies
The Turkey Vulture is a bird of a large size its wingspan varies between 160-183 cm, and the body length of this bird is between 62-81 cm. They weigh between 0. From 85 to 2 kg, and females tend to be more massive than males. Among the morphological characteristics it is worth to mention that Turkey Vulture has a bare, red in adults and grayish injuveniles, head. This is particularly so because this bird feeds on carcasses, and having many feathers on the head could accumulate much dirt.
The general coloration of Turkey Vulture is dark brown to black; slight iridescence appears to be purplish green. Its wings are long and broad and the colour of the undersides of the wings are silvery when it is in flight. This aspect of sexual dimorphism is reflected in the fact that this bird has black wings with white spots and often glide in the sky in formations with wings slightly higher than the body, in a ‘V’ formation.
turkey vulture diet
They eat deceased animals and are solitary or in pairs and are the only vultures that feed on carrion. Unlike some other eagles, it does not capture it meals alive. It rather relies on its sound olfactory organ to track down carrion, at times, from quite a few miles away. The Turkey Vulture is innested among the few birds that have this extra carnivorous sense with which it detects the gases in the stomach of corpses.
The Turkey Vultures mainly feed on fresh carcass but does not turn its beak up at partly decomposing or even very poor flesh. It makes use of mammals, reptiles and birds as its prey and is known to knock down small animals such as rats and large ones such as deer. Turkey Vultures have a stomach that is very acidic, and this enables the bird to feed on corpses without being poisoned by the bacteria and toxins that would kill other animals.
When feeding on carrion, Turkey Vultures help in the biotic control because they make sure that diseases are not spread. It is common to find them scooping dead and injured animals by the roadside or the bodies of animals that have died of natural causes for example from disease and which are then used by the other animals.
Habitat and Range: Wide Distribution Across the Americas
The range of Turkey Vultures is from southern Canada southward through all the United States to the southern part of South America. These are very versatile birds and it is possible to find them in areas that are characterized by forests, grasslands, deserts and even cities. A socially approved ethological niche is open country, which Turkey Vultures use for foraging by spending most of their time soaring in search of carrion.
Nesters are migratory in North America with the northern populations moving down to the south in winter. They move in large groups referred to as ‘kettle’ with up to hundreds or thousands of individuals in a group. These migrations are truly a magnificent arsenal, as these birds are able to soar through the air on thermals – discrete columns of air that rise above the surface of the earth and warm as they rise – with virtually no effort.
Behavior and Social Structure: Soaring and Roosting
While in flight, Turkey Vultures prefer to move slowly in large circles and this is all in an attempt to cover large areas of land in a bid to search for food. These hardly beat their wings but soar for several hours in the air on thermals. If a Turkey Vulture sees something it wishes to eat, it will gradually approach it circiling just above the ground before dropping down to get closer.
These birds are also gregarious, they roost in flocks or huge colonies, obviously this is true with most of these birds. Vulture roosting sites are usually tall trees or cliffs, they may also roost on man made structures and it is not unusual for a group of vultures to return to the same roosting sites year after year. These groups maintain dense social associations, and they forage jointly too, but they do not exploit together.
Turkey Vultures are not vocalizers for the most part, and like bald eagles, they are bereft of a syrinx, the bird’s vocal organ. But they are nonverbal animals and they only intercommunicate by hisses, grunts and bodily language. For instance, in order to intimidate, a Turkey Vulture can either hiss or Regurgitate, the latter mostly effective since it has a nauseating odor of food half digested by the bird.
Reproduction: Raising the Next Generation
Like with most Owl species, the Turkey Vultures are known to be monogamous hence forming lifelong pair bonds; these pairs are also known to perform some sort of aerial courtship routines. After a couple mated, they will then go in search of a proper nest which maybe in a quiet part of the ground or in a cave or in a tree hole. This species does not construct fancy nest; instead it uses simple nests on the ground or on a small heap of leaves or twigs.
Female of the Turkey Vulture goes on to lay one to three eggs which are usually creamy white with some brown blotches. Spring has small openings at both ends but both parents take turns in incubating the eggs, which takes between 30 and 40 days. The chicks are altricial, which means they are hatched blind and as such are not capable of fending for themselves.
The parents then regurgitate the food already partially digested, which the young vultures can easily consume best of my knowledge. The chicks are very fast to develop, and they start flying at an age of 9 to 10 weeks. When they have grown up, young vultures may depend on their parents’ care and support for a few more months and hone their skills and abilities that will enable them to fend for themselves as adults.
Conclusion
The Turkey Vulture may not be the most glamorous bird, but its role in the ecosystem is invaluable. As nature’s cleanup crew, these birds help to prevent the spread of disease by consuming carrion that would otherwise decompose and potentially contaminate the environment. Their remarkable adaptations, including their keen sense of smell and efficient soaring flight, make them one of the most effective scavengers in the natural world.
By understanding and appreciating the Turkey Vulture, we can better recognize the importance of all species in maintaining the balance of our ecosystems. Efforts to protect and conserve these birds will ensure that they continue to perform their critical ecological role for generations to come.
