Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

 
                                                     Photo - Macauley Library

The Turkey Vulture is commonly known as the "buzzard".   It is a large bird that ranges throughout the United States, southern Canada and south to South America.

It gets its name from the red skin on its head and its dark body feathers that resemble a turkey.   Its length is 55 to 81 cm., its wingspan is 173 to 183 cm., while it weighs in at 1.5 kg.

These birds soar just above treetops and up to 61 metres high, searching for prey by sight and smell.   They feed mainly on carrion and refuse.

They are most often seen in flight, when their two-toned wings, black in front and silver gray behind, are most visible.   Soaring birds hold their wings above their backs in a shallow V and rock from side to side as if unsteady in the air.

Their voices are silent except at the nest site, when kissing sounds are made.

These birds are common in their mapped range, but have expanded both summer and winter ranges northward, and their population is common with a very slight increase overall.

They are notably resistant to most diseases, especially those found to be in carrion.

                                                  Photo - Macauley Library

Black Vulture

The smaller Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus), with the gray head, shows large white patches at the base of its primaries.   Its tail is shorter than the Turkey Vulture and its wings are shorter but broader, and it feet extend to the edge of its tail or beyond.

Flight includes rapid flapping and short glides usually with wings flat.

While gregarious and aggressive, they not as good at spotting carrion as the Turkey Vulture.

They are common near human settlements and in open country, and often scavenge in garbage dumps.   Their range is limited to the southern United States and Mexico, but their range is expanding northward in both summer and winter. 

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BarrytheBirder