Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Habitat
Ground
Diet
VertFishScav
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
1.5 kg
About This Species
Watch for this large, dark raptor soaring on upswept wings held in a shallow V, rocking unsteadily as it rides thermals over open country, farmland, and roadsides across most of the Americas. It rarely flaps for long stretches and is most active from mid-morning once thermals build, often seen circling alone or in small groups, or perched with wings spread to dry after a cool night. Roost trees and utility poles near open ground are good places to find it gathered in numbers, especially in the cooler months.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Keep a good distance, at least 20 to 30 metres, from a bird feeding at a carcass or gathered at a communal roost, since it will regurgitate its last meal as a defensive response if it feels crowded or threatened.
- This is a natural but unpleasant reaction that also wastes energy the bird needs, so give feeding or roosting groups plenty of room and observe with binoculars rather than approaching on foot.
- It is protected under migratory bird law across its range, and disturbing roosts or nest sites is best avoided even where enforcement varies.
LCAvesAccipitriformesCathartidae
Seasonal Activity
17,115,875 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Cathartidae
Traits
- Diet
- VertFishScav
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 1.5 kg
Photo
(c) Seig, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Seig
CC-BY-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.