Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura

The naked red heads of the adult turkey vulture look like those of turkeys but they are not the same. The Turkey Vulture is a large bird that soars in the sky and likes to eat carrion (the dead body of an animal). You might see one soaring high in the sky and holding the wings in a little bit of a V-shape.

Fun Facts*

• They do not build nests but lay eggs on the ground, in hollow logs, in caves, under fallen trees or abandoned buildings.
• They prefer to eat carrion (dead animals). Cathartes means “purifier.”
• They like to hang out in groups or “roosts.” Roosts can be small or up to several thousand!
• If the weather is really hot, they will sometimes defecate on their feet to cool them off. Look up the word “defecate.”
• If a Turkey Vulture feels afraid or threatened, the way they protect themselves is by vomiting their food, which they can send sailing up to 10 feet! Even baby vultures can do this. Vulture vomit is an effective way to scare off predators.
• Some people call the Turkey Vulture a “buzzard,” but this is not correct.
• They have a great sense of smell and can pick up the smell of a dead animal from high up in the air.

* Information adapted from Nature Mapping Foundation.

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