I was trying to think of the right quote to introduce my turkey vulture friends. “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” “Beauty is more than skin deep?” Turkey vultures may not conjure up the term “beautiful” but they are quite marvelous creatures. We have a large colony now - I’ve counted as many as 70 at a time! They will probably hang around a few more weeks before they head south.
Turkey vultures are fascinating creatures. They are in the raptor family but they seem like very docile creatures. They are capable of tearing a carcass apart and yet they seem shy and gentle. Unlike the geese, they don’t appear to shed many feathers or at least I don’t find many around even after these large groups have been hanging out a while. They are definitely nature’s cleanup crew, taking care of stuff we humans would rather not. They are also playful, especially the youngsters!
So today I thought I’d share some photos of my turkey vulture friends with you all. They may not be yellow flowers and dragonflies, but they are a very lovely part of my world.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this little look into an often forgotten - but vital - member of our bird community. Take good care friends, wishing you a safe and peaceful weekend.
I’m in Athens, Georgia. A f
A great post! And serendipitous for me. As I am exploring the culture of the places I have lived in around the world and memories flood in, I now realise that the turkey vultures I used to see in Ecuador were these. I had no idea they migrated. It's safe to say these "gallinazos" as they are known, were not popular there either. Thank you for making me see these birds in a different light!