By Jennifer Meikle, Environmental Educator

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Here in Connecticut, a turkey vulture gliding through the air is a familiar sight. The simple way to identify a turkey vulture soaring overhead is by the v shape that its wings make as it flies. If you look at the ends of their wings as they fly, you can see that the feathers splay out, almost resembling long fingers. Their wingspan is generally around a whopping six feet. 

Turkey vultures, like other raptors, are known to use thermals (basically big pockets of rising hot air) to coast through the sky without flapping their wings, which they can do for around six hours at a time. This method of flying uses very little energy. These birds have been recorded flying over 600 miles in six days, and they can fly at various heights –even up to 20,000 feet in altitude to pass over storm systems during migration! Not all turkey vulture populations are migratory though, it is dependent on the conditions in their range. The turkey vultures and black vultures of New England must begin their migration south toward warmer weather in fall, and return in the following spring, sometimes appearing as early as February. 

Turkey vultures have many adaptations that might sound strange and gross to some, but make them a more unique and amazing animal. They are one of nature’s most efficient recyclers! Turkey vultures almost exclusively eat carrion (or animal carcasses). While most birds have a poorly developed sense of smell, turkey vultures are an exception to this and have a well-developed sense of sight and smell. Turkey vultures can sense food up to around 200 feet in the air, which is a good altitude for them to see and sniff out their meal. Carrion releases a gas called ethyl mercaptan as it decays, and once a turkey vulture catches the scent they are able to use their senses to zero in on the find. Around the 1930s, humans began adding this gas to pipelines to help locate natural gas leaks, and found that the scent would attract turkey vultures. Researchers later studied this and confirmed that the gas is a big part of how a turkey vulture detects and locates carrion. Black vultures have a great sense of sight but not such a good sense of smell. They are known to follow shortly behind their relative, the turkey vulture, as they know it will likely lead them to a meal.

Another main physical characteristic of the vulture is the bald head. This adaptation allows turkey and black vultures to stick their entire head into a carcass to eat, without having to worry about the decaying matter sticking to their feathers. After eating, they let the sun bake off any bacteria that may be leftover from consuming remains. Turkey vultures are also known to defecate on their legs, which helps them cool down in hot weather. The acidity of their poop also kills any bacteria from the carrion that may have gotten on their feet and legs during their meal. Turkey vultures eating carrion actually helps prevent the spread of livestock diseases and bacteria, as they are killed off while passing through the vulture’s digestive system, which is not the case with most other scavengers.

Turkey vultures do not make nests; instead, they lay their eggs on the floor of caves, rock ledges, and in hollow trees. If any predators try to approach their nesting area, a turkey vulture will regurgitate half digested remains of their food onto their enemy to get them to go away! Like many things in this world, turkey vultures are a prime example of something that is both gross and cool, simultaneously.