A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Cathartes aura
This is Klicko, one more bird seen during a bird flying exhibit. It is a turkey vulture. These birds are scavengers and feed almost exclusively on carrion. 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 nostrils are not divided by a septum, but rather are perforate; from the side one can see through the beak.
In the wild its habitat ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America. It inhabits a variety of open and semi-open areas, including subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and deserts.
Spotted on Aug 18, 2013
Submitted on Sep 28, 2013
2 Comments
Thanks for the nice comment Suzanne :-)
I'm a big fan of vultures, I've developed a real affection for a group of black vultures I see all the time. Turkey vultures are the other kind we see in my part of the world. Much to be admired ...