Vinnie (Turkey Vulture)
Cathartes
aura
Turkey vultures are one of the
largest soaring birds in the Central Valley. They are between 26-32 inches tall with
a 72 inch wing span. Their basic
coloration is iridescent black with black wings. The undersides of the wings are a
silvery gray. The neck and head are
naked--red in adults and gray in adolescents. Turkey vultures serve as clean-up
detail, eating carrion often on the roadsides. They are one of few birds with an acute
sense of smell making it possible for them to detect which direction the scent
is coming from. They have a
remarkable digestive system which allows them to eat meat diseased with anthrax
without being affected themselves.
Turkey vultures are community based—living and working together in
cooperation. They are easy to spot
in the early morning with wings outstretched in an effort to catch the first
warming, drying rays of the dawn sun.
Vinnie is a turkey vulture picked
up from the floor of the Central Valley. We received a call from workers at a
dairy who saw the bird walking around their feed lots. Vinnie had been shot in
the wing and the broken bone had healed on its own. However, in healing, the
joint had frozen and he was unable to fly. Despite his handicap he had managed
to survive on road-kill and carrion around the dairy for an untold number of
weeks.
He
was thin but alert. When turkey vultures get upset, they cough up all the food
in their crop in order to lighten their load so they can take flight. Keeping
one in captivity, if it is stressed, can be a challenge. Vinnie was fortunately
able to relax in his new home.
He lives in our 100-foot flight
cage working a lot like a catfish does in a large aquarium. The food our hawks
and eagles don't eat, he is ready to clean up for us. His beak, bald head, and
heron-like talons provide valuable lessons in adaptation to students when he
comes along on our bird of prey programs. His stinky breath and "harbinger
of death" reputation always elicit "yucks"
from the young students. However, once they learn of his "vacuum
cleaner" function in nature's scheme of things, they come away with a
better appreciation of just what a valuable asset he is to have around. As we
say whenever someone is near him "You better look alive!"