Turkey vultures are cool birds!
Landing on the rocky rim of the quarry, and skipping up the very edge, a group of turkey vultures outstretches their wings to absorb the heat of the sun. The radiant heat from the limestone and the direct rays of the sun produce solar power for the birds, and as their bodies warm, they’ll take off in search of their next meal.
In-flight, the wings form a dihedral, they overextend, and the birds teeter-totter as they soar and circle up through the thermals.
Turkey vultures have bald redheads, black bodies, and 6-foot wingspans with long, fingered wingtips. They have a keen sense of smell that directs them to the freshly dead.
Vultures don’t kill prey. They scavenge for the dead and then pick bones clean with their powerful beaks. The bald head serves a purpose. Rotting carrion would stick to a feathered head, but not to the bare-naked skin of the turkey vulture’s head. These amazing birds provide an important service to us. They clean up dead animals, and in doing so, they help prevent the spread of pollution and disease.
