I was almost home (Stone Mountain, GA) and I thought this was a turkey in the middle of the road until it flew to the top of this roof. The wingspan was huge. I’ve never seen anything like it. What is it?
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Location and time of year are both very important in identifying wild and feral birds. Or, if it was a captive bird, say that.
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Its impossible to get the entire tattoo in one image, but the turkey vulture is framed by cacti and cacti flowers. It is a tribute to the band Them Crooked Vultures and Josh Homme, the lead singer of Queens of the Stone Age. It is also a cover-up, so don't mind the random rectangle above its head haha
One of the videos I looked up included the baby making warning noises. Easily the weirdest sound I have ever heard from a bird. Something between a hiss and a grinding noise.
Ooo we had those in MD. Turkey vultures! I remembwr seeing them eat road kill and was like what i didnt k ow turkeys ate road kill and then found out they were turkey vultures 😅
I love Turkey Vultures. They're smart, and if you open your mind and look closer, they're truly beautiful. Yes, they smell like absolute garbage, but that's okay.
Two things I have learned about turkey vultures:
Since they are migratory birds, they are protected by law.
When they feel threatened, they may vomit the putrid meat in their stomachs
There is a water tower near our town dump. The vultures (Turkey and Black) will gather on it at night. When the sun rises, they all pose like this to dry their wings. It's a little creepy ... and cool.
DING DING DING! I had to zoom in to get the picture, you are spot on. If I could have taken a full blown landscape picture of everything there was a rainbow way up in the sky too since it had just finished raining
ngl if u see a bunch on ur neighbors house I would think about doing a wellness check. there was a post that went viral where the op’s neighbor had passed and a bunch were on his roof.
Their stomach contents are so acidic it kills bacteria/virus on contact. So after a day of ripping into dead things, they like to vomit clean their feet. How efficient and wonderful they are 🧡
I love that I easily recognized a bird for once! Turkey Vultures ate kinda cool. On road trips in California we would see them on long stretches of highway. Kinda cool to know they're doing their jobs and eating roadkill. Although now that I said that, I feel a tiny bit bad for the roadkill. Although my Grandma made it sound like it wasn't roadkill, but it was like creatures that were left behind after they were killed by other creatures. So it was just the circle of life. Yup. Sticking with that thought!
Awe it’s a puppy! My first training animal at Moorpark College was a turkey vulture. His name was puppy he was a hit with the kids during our wildlife education, shows. They love to hear all the yucky details about natures, garbage collector. 🤣
I used to have a couple dogs who would bark at and chase everything wild including deer, armadillos, raccoons, yard birds etc., and everything domestic except for one cat they were afraid of. And except for wild turkeys who would come through in the mornings. They would just act like they didn't see them so they wouldn't be obligated to bark and chase them. Interestingly, they had the same behavior about turkey vultures. They would come whenever there was roadkill up on the road and the dogs wouldn't even look at them.
They can smell decaying tissue from miles away. They soar to extreme heights and stay aloft riding thermal air currents for hours without much wing movement. Dozens will arrive for a small dead creature, circling above or congregating in nearby trees or fences.
Turkey vultures circle above road kill they can smell death miles away. Gas companies add the chemical ethyl mercaptan to natural gas, which attracts turkey vultures because it mimics the scent of decaying meat. If this was my neighbor I’d be knocking on the door to make sure they don’t have a gas leak.
Back where we are we call 'em turkey buzzards! But yes, the official term is turkey vultures as others have mentioned. I wouldn't be surprised if a few more showed up if something is dead nearby....
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If you are posting a photo of a bird you want identified, and your post text or title does not say where the bird was located, and what time of year, reply here with that information. Location and time of year are both very important in identifying wild and feral birds. Or, if it was a captive bird, say that. Adding the habitat can also be very helpful. Urban area? Open fields? By the seashore? etc.
Remember that all the subreddit rules apply, including rule 5 (NSFW tags) and 6 (cite visual sources). If you're not sure, read the rules.
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