One spring, a pair of turkey vultures were preparing for the long trip north after over-wintering in the sunny tropics. They were getting old, and winging it seemed a bit much. So they decided to fly by plane. They arrived at the ticket counter, their only luggage a dead armadillo for an in-flight snack. 'Want to check that?' asked the agent. 'Nah,' replied the vultures, 'It's carry-on.' (carrion, get it?)
(This the only bird joke I know, heard at an Audubon Society meeting.)
Turkey vulture in flight, note wide wing span and spread feathers at the wing tips. By Cathartes_aura_-Florida_-USA_-flying-8.jpg: Dori derivative work: Snowmanradio [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Vultures, which make their living dining on the dead and decomposing, usually engender revulsion rather than admiration. But, vultures are in fact quite interesting. Noah Stryker, the Oregon birder who in 2015 completed a world birding tour that racked up an amazing record 6031 bird species observed in 365 days, devotes a whole chapter to vultures in his book 'The Thing with Feathers.' The chapter revolves around whether vultures smell or spot carcasses, a topic of intense interest to vulturologists (OK, I just made that word up). More properly, ornithologists who study vultures have concluded that while some vultures, notably turkey vultures, do have a good sense of smell, these scavengers mainly rely on their sharp vision to locate a potential meal. In fact, vultures can be fooled by a realistic painting of a dead animal spread out on the ground.
Vultures are also called buzzards - what's in a name? Apparently, a lot. It is incredible, but true (something I found out from Stryker's book and had a hard time believing) that the two distinct groups of vultures, Old World and New World species, are not that closely related. These birds look much alike, glide on wide wings searching for inert bodies, and have the same gustatory satisfaction on finding a vile smelling dead creature. Both groups sport naked heads and have cast iron digestive systems to protect them from rotting flesh. But, despite their similar appearance and habits, Old World vultures are most closely related to hawks, while New World vultures are in a separate family group that encompasses five vultures and two condors in the Americas. The word 'buzzard' ultimately derives from the Latin 'buteo', or hawk. Many species of hawks are commonly called 'buzzard', and the word generally means a large soaring bird of prey (where the prey can be either moving or moribund.) New World vultures, not being close kin to hawks, really don't deserve to be called 'buzzards'.
Head of a turkey vulture, showing the naked red head and nasal opening that helps the bird detect carcasses by scent. Dori (originally posted to Flickr as 20100130_9526) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Two species of vulture soar over the Georgia coast. The vast open marshes and long stretches of ocean beach, where dead animals are prone to be carried by the tides, are ideal for scavenging birds. While turkey vultures are common inland, black vultures are more often spotted along the sea islands and beaches. As a vulture rises up on thermals on a six-foot wingspan, its distinctive V-shaped outline and teetering flight distinguishes it from the flat profile and steady motion of a red tailed hawk or bald eagle. John and Mildred Teal, in 'Portrait of an Island,' their classic homage to Sapelo, envisioned a bird's eye view of the coast as seen by one of these impressive creatures.
Most turkey vultures summering in North American do migrate in fall to Mexico and points south. Their arrival back in their northern breeding grounds is often welcomed, especially by birders, as a harbinger of spring. On the Georgia coast, though, both turkey vultures and non-migrating black vultures find the pickings just fine all year long.
Head of a black vulture, with naked grey wattled head. Black Vulture -- Farallon, Panama -- 2005 Decemberlicensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
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