Turkey Vulture (Zone-tailed Hawk)

                                        Would it be unkind to say only 95% of the Turkey Vulture is beautiful?

Turkey Vultures can be seen in summer throughout most of North America.

They're often seen soaring in circles high in the air with their wings held at a dihedral (V-shaped). 

They're looking for something newly deceased. Or more precisely 'sniffing' for it.  Turkey Vultures find their food by smell. 

Odors rise in Sonoran Desert heat.  It's not long before a death is discovered.  

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: "Turkey Vultures almost never attack living prey."

The sight of Turkey Vultures soaring overhead doesn't frighten animals because they have little to fear from Turkey Vultures. 

But the similarly sized Zone-tailed HAWK (like this one) knows this. They sometimes join the vulture circles to launch their own attacks. 

You've likely seen Turkey Vultures in the sky whether you knew it or not. Their numbers are steadily increasing thanks to a mid-century legislative ban on DDT.

Eating carrion is not for the faint of heart, but Turkey Vultures fare quite well. They seem immune to botulism, anthrax, cholera, salmonella. 

It's residual poisons and lead shot found in dead animals that threaten this beautiful, essential bird.

Allan

Credits:

Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds,

The Sibley's Guide to Birds