Turkey Vultures: the final word spring chook

At the moment’s put up comes from Sarah Wiebe, park interpreter at Rondeau Provincial Park. 

If you consider spring birding at Rondeau Provincial Park, what do you think about?

Vibrant plumage? Unbelievable flocks of waterfowl? Lovely birdsong? In any case, spring is an thrilling time for birding right here, with many impatiently ready for the arrival of warblers.

Once I consider spring birding, although, I consider certainly one of North America’s grossest and ugliest birds, and certainly one of our earliest spring migrants.

These birds wouldn’t have the gorgeous name of a White-Throated Sparrow, the flashy colors of the Yellow Warbler, and even the love affair with grape jelly of the Baltimore Oriole.

At the moment, I wish to introduce you to certainly one of my favorite spring birds: the Turkey Vulture.

Whereas others search for flashy warblers, Turkey Vultures are the unsung heroes of spring.

I’ll share some options and behaviours that make Turkey Vultures particular, from their flying method to the tips they use to discourage predators.

I hope I can change your thoughts about Turkey Vultures and persuade you they’re the final word spring chook.

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They’re the crime scene cleanup crew of the animal world

Turkey Vultures play a necessary function in protecting our surroundings clear. Demise occurs, and these birds don’t shrink back from a messy cleanup. Their scientific identify (Cathartes aura) even means “cleaning breeze!”

They’ll scent lifeless animals or carrion from over 1.5 km away and have the most important olfactory system – the system that helps them scent – of any chook. Most birds haven’t any sense of scent in any respect!

They’ll typically be discovered alongside roadways with their heads in a carcass. They largely feed on lately lifeless mammals, even skunks! Turkey Vultures have been identified to daintily push apart a skunk’s scent glands and chow down.

The considered this would possibly make your abdomen churn and you could be questioning: how do they eat rotting meals and never get sick?

Turkey Vultures have extremely robust immune programs and extremely acidic abdomen acid to kill the micro organism that trigger issues like botulism, anthrax, cholera, and salmonella.

These birds have been wrongly accused of spreading illness, however they really do the precise reverse.

With out Turkey Vultures, lifeless animals would pile up and illness would have the ability to contaminate our water and soil. A Turkey Vulture is such a great cleaner that its abdomen acid kills the micro organism and when it defecates, the chance of the illness is gone.

They may even wash their toes after by peeing on themselves – such thoughtful birds.

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With such a disgusting job, Turkey Vultures come ready 

A Turkey Vulture’s odd look and behaviours are key to its survival.

One of the crucial placing options of the Turkey Vulture is its shiny purple and featherless head. They get their identify from the turkey, which has an identical purple head. This bald head permits them to rise up shut and private with lifeless animals with out getting their feathers messy and turning into a breeding floor for micro organism.

In addition they have robust beaks to assist shred and tear meat from a carcass. In contrast to different large raptors, Turkey Vultures have small talons and weak toes which might be no good for capturing prey. Some even examine their toes to rooster toes.

Have you ever ever heard the attractive name of a Turkey Vulture? Effectively, it’s unlikely. They don’t have the vocal organ that helps birds make songs, so they’re left with a sequence of grunts and hisses.

In addition they have some weird behaviors. They’re best to recollect by the three Ps:

• decide their noses – to get the rotting flesh out
• pee on themselves – to wash up and funky down on sizzling days
• puke on their enemies – if somebody will get too near their nest, they may projectile vomit partially digested rotting flesh and caustic abdomen acid at their predators

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Whereas they often is the grossest birds round, they’ve an imposing approach of flying!

Turkey Vultures harness the solar’s power to soar to new heights.

For me, hovering Turkey Vultures all the time sign that spring is coming.

The flying “V” of a Turkey Vulture within the sky is all the time welcome and brings a smile to my face. With a wingspan of about 6 ft. (wider than my arms), they’re majestic soarers with a teetering flight and barely flap their wings.

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Turkey Vultures work smarter, not more durable

On sunny days, the flat floor is heated by the solar and the nice and cozy air rises, permitting the vulture to swoop upward with minimal effort.

Over areas with cooler air, like lakes and forests, they’ll glide down because the cool air sinks.

These are referred to as thermals and permit them to glide to the bottom to scent meals and journey the thermals again as much as increased vantage factors.

Turkey Vultures can typically be seen flying above Rondeau and infrequently roosting in timber alongside our strolling trails.

A gaggle of Turkey Vultures using the air currents is named a kettle. They migrate from the Southern US to Canada every spring and fall. They’ll journey over 300 km/day and are a number of the earliest spring migrants.

Fortunate for us, Turkey Vulture populations have been rising annually by practically 2% since 1966.

Regardless of being impacted by lead poisoning, DDT and different toxins that their meals might have ingested, they’re thriving and persevering with to wash up the grisliest of roadkill.

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Three cheers for the Turkey Vulture!

Regardless of not being probably the most lovely spring chook, they’re actually one of the vital resourceful and deserve extra credit score.

Their cleanup crew skills, peculiar look, and intelligent approach of flying make this chook a must-see in spring!