Beautiful Turkey Vulture

As I made my way back along our ridge line, my quiet movement startled three vultures in a tree just 10 feet away. The sound of their wings was like sails flapping in the wind!! I watched them fly up and away, circling off into the distance, and it was a wondrous thing to see such enormous birds gliding on the thermals!

Turkey Vultures are found all over North and South America, from Canada to the southern tip of Chile. They are scavengers and eat carrion exclusively, using their keen eyesight and sense of smell to find their prey. This bird has no ability to sing and call like other birds, and can only grunt or hiss! Turkey vultures raise a pair of chicks in the months between March and August depending on latitude (Here they raise babies between March and June).

If you would like to know more about Turkey Vultures, Wiki has an extensive page here: Wiki: Turkey Vulture {Cathartes aura}