cathartes aura

Turkey Vulture - Gather round, gather round, I’m just warming up!

Not a skeksis

Turkey Vulture The turkey vulture, also known in some North American regions as the turkey buzzard, and in some areas of the Caribbean as the John crow or carrion crow, is the most widespread of the New World vultures.

In a Havana Park they where very approachable

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura aura)

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura subsp. ruficollis) Sexes similar. Camp Darin, Darin Province, Panam. Disturbed tropical lowland rainforest (mixed evergreen and deciduous forest) at 110 m (361 ft) elevation.

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura subsp. aura) Fly by. Margin of Stillhouse Hollow Lake in Rivers Bend Park, southwest of Belton, Bell County, Texas, USA. A crossroads of the Edwards Plateau and the Blackland Prairies Vegetational Areas. About 192 m (630 ft) elevation.

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura subsp. ruficollis) Sexes similar. South of Tarapoto, San Martn, Per. Ro Huallaga Valley, xerophytic scrub at ca. 290 m (951ft) elevation.

Flying near the mountain

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura subsp. septentrionalis) Sexes similar. Photographed in Riverside Park, Victoria, Victoria County, Texas, USA. Open park-like setting with scattered hardwoods adjacent to a wooded riparian area at ca. 29 m (95 ft) elevation.

Taken at the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline. I estimate the distance was at least 50m. I have been trying to get a decent photo of these very common vultures for years, one that showed that red head. Mission accomplished.

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura subsp. ruficollis) Sexes similar. Photographed in Bosque de Pmac, northeast of Tcume, Lambayeque Department, Peru. Equatorial dry forest at ca. 70 m (230 ft) elevation. Upper reaches of the Maraon Valley.

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) soaring over Solmar Beach, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) over Solmar Beach, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) on the beach at Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Cathartes aura - zopilote aura - turkey vulture

Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura ruficollis, South American ssp

Not going for "cuteness" today. These three aren't even all that great photos. But it was kind of a thrill seeing these beasts close up. The turkey vultures (there were two of them here) were quite close to the trail - downright ugly birds doing a downright ugly but necessary task...

Nope, turkey vultures will never fall into the "cute" category. But they are quite graceful flyers.

From the top of Sonoma Overlook Trail, I watched a raven chasing away a turkey vulture. Self-protection against an overly proactive vulture? Or just being territorial? In any case, the raven won, which means I lost out on the chance for more vulture photos. T'Was quite the aerial dogfight...

First turkey vulture photo. I have seen them many times though. Photo taken hand held

A face only a mother could love! The Vulture was eating a road killed Striped Skunk, when I encountered it. It flew to the roadside as my auto approached.

a turkey vulture