Turkey Vulture           Cathartes aura (Linnaeus)

Turkey Vulture at Sprague Lake WA © Tom Munson

Olympic Vulture Study
The Olympic Vulture Study began in 1992 with a grant from the Hawk Migration Association of North America. Several sites on Vancouver Island and the northern Olympic coast of Washington state were surveyed with Salt Creek County Park west of Port Angeles, Washington, chosen as the most logical. Distance across the Strait of Juan de Fuca is at its narrowest at this point.

Since the beginning of the monitoring project, 16,288 turkey vultures have been tallied coming into the Salt Creek area. The main movement is normally from September 24 to October 6.

• A large, dark raptorial bird nearly the size of a Bald Eagle.
•  Sexes are very similar with females occasionally a little larger.
• Adults have red heads and ivory bills; first year birds have dark grey heads and a black tip on the bill.
• Distinguishing feature on the bill is the perforate nares which is very prominent.
• Plumage is overall a dark brownish-black with the underside of the trailing edge of the wing silverish and the underwing coverts dark – this gives a two-tone effect and is very diagnostic in flight (when seen from below).
• Legs and feet are pinkish but often appear grey from urohydrosis (a cooling process).

In Flight

• Overall dark bird except for the underwing.
• Small head. Only when seen closely can the head color be distinguished.
• Very long-winged, almost as much as a Bald Eagle.
• Uses air currents proficiently to “kettle” up, then glide off.
• When hunting, the flight is rocking and the wings are held in a dihedral (slightly uplifted). Somewhat similar to a Northern Harrier.
• Very long-winged; almost as a bald eagle.

Voice:

• Turkey vultures do not have a syrnx, therefore do not make calls other than guttural grunts and hisses.

• Habitat Preferences
  Turkey Vultures forage most often over open rangeland, casual agricultural land rather than intensive row crops, and wild areas with open forest and rocky cliffs. They can also be found scavenging shorelines for fish, seals, and other dead animals.  Breeding habitat is generally in isolated rocky outcroppings or cliff sites with caves and occurs up to the subalpine forest habitat. Hollow logs, brushy areas, and abandoned buildings are also used occasionally.
• Breeding
  Nesting is a secretive endeavor for Turkey Vultures which makes nest assessment difficult.  Turkey Vultures do not build a nest. A usual clutch is two eggs laid 1-3 days apart; occasionally just one egg, seldom three. Incubation is approximately 35 days; fledging can be anywhere from 60-80 days. Both parents have two brood patches and incubate equally. The young are fed regurgitated food. The family bond breaks down shortly after fledging and the young don't necessarily migrate south with their parents.
• Food
  Wild and domestic carrion, most often mammals. Generally feeds on the ground. The feet are too weak to carry food.

Sources for more distributional information include:

• Breeding Bird Survey Map from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center:
  http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/htm03/ra2003_red/ra03250.htm
• National Audubon Christmas Bird Count Database:
  http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/

Turkey Vulture Images:
Click HERE to view our image gallery for this species.

Turkey Vulture Data:
Click HERE to view our database (mainly for British Columbia) of noteworthy observations.  Other useful sources of data include

• Breeding Bird Surveys: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/
• National Audubon Christmas Bird Count Database:
  http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/

Turkey Vulture Additional References:
Web Sites:

• Kern River Valley Vulture Watch - http://natureali.org/TVcount.htm
• Turkey Vulture Society - http://vulturesociety.homestead.com/
• Vultures - http://www.vultures.homestead.com/turkey.html

Click HERE to view a few more references.

Species account prepared by Diann MacRae and Michael G. Shepard