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Project Noah Nature School
Cathartes aura
A large dark brown bird that has a red head. The head does not have feathers. Underside feathers are pale in color. It has long tail feathers, and a white colored beak that is hooked.
Habitat: Open country areas, woods, deserts, and foothills. Some of the places they roost are on dead trees and towers. Diet: They mainly eat carrion, but have been known to kill live prey. Nests: Nests in a variety of places such as rock crevices, hollowed logs, and abandoned hawk nests just to name a few. They have 1 brood a year with a clutch size of 1-3 eggs. Ref: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Turk...
We saw these vultures as they landed on top of the school roof. It was a sight to see as the young vulture fed directly from the mouth of the parent. Super awesome!!! Fun Facts: 1. Turkey vultures do not have vocal chords (syrinx) so they can only hiss and grunt. 2. Turkey vultures have an excellent sense of smell unlike other birds. 3. These vultures have an amazing immune system. Ref: https://texashillcountry.com/10-facts-tu...
Spotted on Nov 1, 2019
Submitted on Nov 4, 2019
2 Comments
Thank you so much for the nomination! It was super cool to see the interaction between parent and offspring!
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!