Turkey Vulture Stopped by for a Visit

I had a visitor swoop into the homestead today; it was a Turkey Vulture.  From a distance I thought it was a large hawk, but once I got the field glasses onto it and saw the bald, red head, I knew “that ain’t no hawk.”

First the Turkey Vulture landed on a dead tree in my back yard, and about half a dozen highly territorial Red-Wing Blackbirds swarmed around it to drive it away from their nesting area.

Then it flew in a wide circle around my yard and it landed on my tool shed.  The Red-Wing Blackbirds dive-bombed it.

Then the Turkey Vulture flew up into the top of a tall tree, where of course, the Red-Wing Blackbirds harassed it some more.  By this time he had enough of this nonsense and flew away for some peace & quiet.

Turkey Vultures almost exclusively eat carrion (dead animals).  I read they can locate carrion while flying overhead by smelling the gases produced during decomposition.  There was a two week old Raccoon carcass around here, which is probably what drew him into this area in the first place.

I also read they can grow to a wingspan of up to six feet, and they have no voice box.  Their only method of vocal communications is with grunts and low hisses.

That sure is one ugly bird!

(picture from Wikimedia Commons)

Labels: Home and Garden