Birds · Cathartiformes · Cathartidae

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The turkey vulture is a species of Cathartiformes bird of the family Cathartidae. Its range extends from the far south of South America to southern Canada. It lives in a variety of open and semi-open areas, including subtropical forest, scrub, grassland and desert. It is a large bird, with a wingspan of 170-183 cm, a length of 64-81 cm and a weight that can range between 0.85 and 2.26 kg. Its plumage is dark brown to black; the head and neck are unfeathered and purple-red. Its bill is short, hooked and ivory-coloured. Considered of least concern by the IUCN Red List.

Weight

850 g – 2.2 kg

Size

62 cm – 81 cm

Lifespan

25 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestTemperate forestDesertGrasslandCarnivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Rainforest Temperate forest Desert Grassland

43countries 95parks4same family

Fun facts

sentidosIt is one of the few birds of prey that can smell out carrion, even under dense cover, thanks to an olfactory bulb that is large for its body size.
It detects a carcass by smell from more than a kilometre away, and American gas companies made use of that ability: they added to natural gas the same compound that carcasses give off, and located leaks by following where the vultures gathered.
Its stomach is extraordinarily acidic: it neutralises botulism, anthrax and cholera, so it can eat carcasses that would kill any other animal.
It vomits as a defence: an acidic, foul-smelling vomit thrown with good aim that drives off most predators and lightens it enough to take off faster.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Practically any open or semi-open environment in the Americas, from Canada to Tierra del Fuego
Sexual maturity: 11 years
Gestation / incubation: 39 days
Litter / clutch size: 2

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathartes_aura