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Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura

Description:

The body feathers are mostly brownish-black, but the flight feathers on the wings appear to be silvery-gray beneath, contrasting with the darker wing linings. The adult's head is small in proportion to its body and is red in color with few to no feathers. It also has a relatively short, hooked, ivory-colored beak. The irises of the eyes are gray-brown; legs and feet are pink-skinned, although typically stained white.

Habitat:

Mountain Valley

Notes:

This was one of 5 vultures circling in an area in the mountains.

No species ID suggestions

10 Comments

EmilyMarino
EmilyMarino 4 months ago

Very True Janelle!

Thank you Kim!

KimChampagne
KimChampagne 5 months ago

I love the second one :)

JanelleL.Streed
JanelleL.Streed 5 months ago

Emily-I as well on both accounts. I look forward to the winter with the added snow and/or ice scenes, swans and deer but I always feel like the day after Christmas, when all the presents are opened and its time to start taking down the Christmas bling, come fall. So sad and bereft but at the same time knowing the bling will be back in the spring and soooo looking forward to it all. "-)

EmilyMarino
EmilyMarino 5 months ago

Thanks! I really love turkey vultures! They leave Colorado in the winter, so I am going through withdrawal!

JanelleL.Streed
JanelleL.Streed 5 months ago

Gorgeous shots, Emily!!

EmilyMarino
EmilyMarino 10 months ago

Thanks Christy! He was a looker, but he has nothing on our Chuck!

ChristyHolland
ChristyHolland 10 months ago

Wow!! A roust and a yawn!! Great series, Em...

EmilyMarino
EmilyMarino 10 months ago

Thank you DeepankshiChittora and willard16512! I thought he was a pretty handsome bird!

Captain Nature
Captain Nature 10 months ago

nice spotting

DeepankshiChittora
DeepankshiChittora 10 months ago

superb shot !!!!

Gypsum, Colorado, USA

Lat: 39.60, Long: -106.94

Spotted on Jul 8, 2012
Submitted on Jul 10, 2012

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