Animal Corner

Discover the many amazing animals that live on our planet.

  • Home
  • A-Z Animals
  • Anatomy
  • Glossary
  • Animal Lists
    • Animal By Letter
    • Animals by Location
    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
  • Free Resources
    • Animal Coloring Pages
    • Animal Jokes
    • Animal Quizzes
  • Pets
    • Dog Breeds
    • Rabbit Breeds
    • Cat Breeds
    • Pet Rodents
    • Animal Care
  • Blog
You are here: Home / Animals / Turkey Vulture

Turkey Vulture

The Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) has a featherless red head and the flight feathers are a silvery gray.

Turkey Vultures have a naked head. This prevents any feathers on the head from getting fouled by the carrion that they eat. Head feathers are very difficult to clean. Early in the morning they can be seen stretching their wings, gathering the morning sun.

Turkey Vultures don’t build a nest but lay their eggs on the ground or in a hollow stump.

Turkey vultures are carrion eaters. Turkey Vultures unlike most other birds, have a highly developed sense of smell. They find their food with a keen sense of smell. The nostril of the Turkey Vulture is oval. If the right light and setting, you can see through the nostril. I suspect that this aids their sense of smell.

The Latin name, Cathartes aura, means “Golden purifier”. Turkey Vultures are immune to botulism and other organisms in carrion that would kill other animals. Turkey Vultures also destroy anthrax bacteria or hog cholera virus as it passes through their digestive tracts, thus helping to contain these diseases.

Because they eat carrion, their heads have no feathers that might become fouled by a meal.

Turkey Vultures are different from the other raptors. Today it is thought that Turkey Vultures are more closely related to Storks than to the other raptors.

Turkey Vulture identification tips:

Turkey vultures are large blackish brown birds. The flight feathers are a silvery gray. Turkey vultures have nearly featherless heads. The adult turkey vulture has a red head while the juvenile has a black head.

Turkey vultures rock while in flight.

Turkey vultures can be found in most of the United States and Mexico during summer.

  • Length: 26 inches
  • Wingspan: 67 inches
  • Weight: 4 lb
  • Nest: Stump, cliff or shallow cave
  • Usually lay 2 eggs (can be 1-3)
  • Incubation: Both parents incubate the eggs. Incubation lasts 38 to 41 days
  • Fledge: 66 to 88 days

Also read: Birds that begin with the letter V

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About

  • Hoopoe Birds
  • Cardinal Birds
  • Galapagos Brown Pelican Birds
  • The Vultures
    Vulture
  • Cooper's Hawk
  • Great White African Pelican Birds

About Joanne Spencer

I've always been passionate about animals which led me to a career in training and behaviour. As an animal professional I'm committed to improving relationships between people and animals to bring them more happiness.

Did You Know?

There is no evidence that turkey vultures actually construct nests. It is well known that they choose to nest in extremely distant areas that are difficult to access.The floor of an abandoned old barn, six feet below the surface of the ground in a rotting stump, and in a dead tree with the nest located fourteen feet below the cavity entrance are some of the most peculiar nesting locations that have been observed.

Animal Classification

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Accipitriformes
Family:Cathartidae
Genus:Cathartes
Species:C. aura
Binomial name:
Cathartes aura

Search

Most Popular Animals

  • Zebras
  • Aquatic Warbler
  • Atlantic Dolphins
  • Trapdoor Spider
  • Giraffe
  • Meerkats
  • Timber Wolf
  • Praying Mantis
  • Huntsman Spider
  • Vampire Bat

Galapagos Islands

galapagos-islands

Animal Names Glossary

Animal Names

British Wildlife

british-wildlife

Mammals

anatomy

Dog Breeds

dog breeds

Farm Animals

Farm Animals

Best of the Blog

  • 21 Amazing Animals that live in Lakes
  • What are the Fastest Animals in the World?
  • 31 Animals with Weird and Funny Sounding Names
  • Top 15 Deadliest Animals in the World
  • Ophiophagy – Examples of animals that eat snakes
  • List of Fascinating Solitary Animals

Copyright © 2005-2022 · Animal Corner · All Rights Reserved · Affiliate Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Animals Sitemap . About Us

AnimalCorner.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.