Turkey Vulture

Description:

C. a. meridionalis, the Western Turkey Vulture, is a synonym for C. a. teter. C. a. teter was identified as a subspecies by Friedman in 1933, but in 1964 Alexander Wetmore separated the western birds, which took the name meridionalis, which was applied earlier to a migrant from South America. It breeds from southern Manitoba, southern British Columbia, central Alberta and Saskatchewan south to Baja California, south-central Arizona, and south-central Texas. It is the most migratory subspecies, migrating as far as South America, where it overlaps the range of the smaller C. a. aura. It differs from the Eastern Turkey Vulture in color, as the edges of the lesser wing coverts are darker brown and narrower.

Habitat:

coastal foothills