Facts about Turkey Vulture
- 10
Bald patches on a turkey vulture's head and neck expand or contract based on blood vessel dilation, allowing them to adjust heat loss when their body temperature fluctuates during flight.
- 09
Unlike most vultures, turkey vultures lack a functional syrinx, producing only hisses and grunts rather than calls or vocalizations to communicate with their species.
- 08
Turkey vultures possess two distinct subspecies, with Cathartes aura septentrionalis breeding in North America and Cathartes aura aura inhabiting Central and South America year-round.
- 07
Soaring on thermals, turkey vultures can reach altitudes exceeding 12,000 feet while expending minimal energy through their relatively long 6-foot wingspans.
- 06
In North America, turkey vultures possess a specialized esophageal lining that allows them to safely consume carrion infected with botulism and anthrax bacteria that would kill most other animals.
- 05
Across North and South America, turkey vultures migrate up to 6,000 miles annually, with some populations traveling from Canada to Argentina and back each year.
- 04
Vomiting a caustic, foul-smelling stomach acid is how turkey vultures defend themselves against predators and competitors threatening their nests or food sources.
- 03
The turkey vulture's red, featherless head lacks pigment, exposing blood vessels that help regulate body temperature during hot days of soaring and scavenging.
- 02
During migration, turkey vultures can soar for hours without flapping their wings, riding thermal air currents up to 12,000 feet high.
- 01
A turkey vulture's sense of smell is approximately 100 times more acute than a human's, allowing it to detect carrion from over a mile away.