The truth about turkey vultures

Every year on March 15, scads of people arrive at Cleveland Metropark’s Hinkley Reservation to accompany naturalists and watch the annual return of the buzzards to their historical roost. Clad in unique buzzard apparel, with binoculars in hand, they congregate at daybreak and, with eyes to the sky, await the arrival of the “first” buzzards of the year. This tradition began in 1957, and back then, when winter was more prevalent, perhaps the birds did indeed return on that date. But nowadays, things are different. I’ve been observing buzzards for well over a month, as the warmer climate accelerates their earlier return. (Shhhh, wink, wink)

Actually, what people are really watching for are vultures — turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) to be exact. The word “buzzard” is simply a slang term. Buzzards are commonly found in Europe and refer to a group of hawks known as Buteos. Vultures are not buzzards.

Turkey vultures

Without a doubt, turkey vultures are one of the most misunderstood, underappreciated members of the bird world. Standing nearly 3 feet tall with a wingspan of 6 feet, they are impressive to behold. They get their name from their featherless, red head that resembles that of a wild turkey, but that is where the similarities end. Overall, a turkey vulture is black in appearance with brownish tones highlighting the edges of its feathers. Its ivory-colored beak is sharp for tearing meat, yet its large feet lack the powerful talons associated with other birds of prey. Vocalizations are limited to a variety of hisses and puffs used in communication. Turkey vultures should not be confused with black vultures, a much different, smaller species with a more southern range.

Although turkey vultures are often mistakenly lumped together with hawks, eagles and falcons, DNA shows that they are more closely related to storks. Turkey vultures are not equipped with the type of tools needed to kill their own prey. They are strictly scavengers, feeding on carrion that they are able to locate with their extraordinary sense of smell.

Scavenging

With the most advanced olfactory system of any bird, vultures can scent a meal well over a mile away. Farmers may notice large numbers of turkey vultures hanging out in their hay fields in the days following baling. The birds are quick to locate the many meadow voles and other animals that met their fate during the harvest. The clean-up is quick and efficient. Yet, most of the deceased items on which turkey vultures depend, come in the form of roadkill.

A turkey vulture feeds by plunging its head into the body cavity of a rotting carcass. Because its naked head lacks any feathers, the decaying meat does not easily adhere to the bird, allowing it to remain somewhat clean. Vultures have a pervious nostril, one which lacks a septum and appears large and see-through. Should any scraps become trapped in this roomy opening, the vulture need only to issue a quick sneeze or use a toenail to remove the matter quickly and efficiently.

Turkey vultures have such powerful stomach acids that they can feed on diseased animals without becoming ill. Contagions such as salmonella, anthrax, cholera and botulism can all be consumed and destroyed by the acids in the vulture’s stomach without the bird ever contracting the disease. In fact, vultures do us a favor by cleaning up toxic carcasses so that harmful bacteria won’t spread to humans or other animals.

After tromping around atop a decomposing corpse, a turkey vulture will often urinate down its legs, an activity known as urohydrosis. The high acidity of this liquid serves to destroy any harmful bacteria that might remain. This process also acts to refresh the bird in hot weather, cooling the blood vessels in their feet and helping to lower their overall body temperature.

Defense mechanisms

Because turkey vultures are unable to kill their own prey, they are quite defenseless when it comes to predators. However, they do have a unique and effective way of discouraging them. When threatened, the vulture is capable of projectile vomiting up to 10 feet in any direction. This putrid regurgitation full of powerful stomach acids has a great success rate of discouraging any predators from making threats upon the vulture’s life. Turkey vultures may also purge in this manner to lighten their load, allowing for a more efficient take-off.

In the sky

Speaking of flight, this large, powerful-looking bird, has incredibly weak wing muscles. For this reason, turkey vultures require a few extra seconds for take-off. When approaching a turkey vulture on roadkill, please slow down and give them a chance to exit safely. Because of this weakness, turkey vultures prefer to fly on breezy days, when flapping can be kept to a minimum.

When viewed from below, vultures are easily recognized by their two-toned appearance, the longest wing feathers (known as primaries) appearing silvery in color and looking almost like long fingers, contrasting with a black body and underwing coverts. Vultures hold their wings in a dihedral, or V-shape while tipping gently from side to side making them easy to recognize on the wing. Groups of vultures will often circle together in a large group known as a “kettle.” Catching the thermal updrafts, they resemble churning water boiling in a pot leading to this descriptive term. Vultures will often congregate in this manner when they are returning to their communal roost for the night.

The dramatic sight of several vultures in a dead tree or on fence posts with their wings spread wide in the morning sunshine can elicit mixed emotions. Vultures must dry the dew or rain from their wings in order to achieve easier flight. Spreading their wings allows for more surface area to soak up the sun’s warmth. Warm and dry, they take to the sky to resume their daily job of cleaning up our world.

Nesting

If all of this information has made you queasy, rest assured, the turkey vulture does have a softer side. In the spring, pair formation begins in March and the birds seek out a sheltered location in which to nest.

Rocky outcroppings, ledges, abandoned buildings, rotting logs and hollow trees all qualify as prime nesting sites. Vultures don’t build nests but rather make a scrape on the ground before depositing one to three cryptically-colored eggs. Incubation is shared by both parents, as is the rearing of the youngsters. The adults dote on their fluffy white chicks which grow quickly, returning several times throughout the day to regurgitate meals to the seemingly famished babies.

In 2018, I was able to document the secret lives of a turkey vulture family on a trail camera. From the time the pair discovered an old sugar maple with a huge hollow at the base, my camera documented the birds mating and sharing incubation duties. Footage showed the chicks emerging from the hollow for the very first time, being fed by their parents, their first flights and ending the day on which they fledged. For me, this was a life-changing experience that has endeared me to this species more than any other. For a front-row seat to the secret lives of these amazing birds, please visit youtube.com/watch?v=ylxcyx4A2bg&t=445s to view a short documentary I created of this event. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Turkey vultures occupy an incredibly unique niche, playing an important role in our communities and keeping our environment clean. Suffice it to say, they are the garbage collectors of the bird world and it is hard to imagine what the world would be like without them in it.