Cathartes aura

Of the seven species of the New World vultures, the Turkey Vulture is the most common and the most widely distributed, ranging from south Canada to southern South America.  In winter this efficient scavenger migrates from the northern part of its range, where a carcass will freeze, to the southern part of the United States and south into South America.  The Turkey Vulture breeds throughout Texas, but the winter population is largely confined to east of a line running from Wichita Falls (Pulich 1988) south to Del Rio.  It might be noted, however, that there are records for this bird in Big Bend National Park for every month of the year except January (Warner 1973).  Casual winter lingerers in the west were also noted by Oberholser (1974).

DISTRIBUTION:    The Turkey Vulture breeds throughout Texas, adapting to the forests and swamplands of east Texas, the open prairies farther west, and the high, arid lands of the Trans-Pecos.  Abundant in the east, and common to fairly common throughout much of the state, the species can be scarce in the northwest and far west quarters of the state.  Oberholser observed this pattern as did, more recently, TBBA atlasers.  The relative dearth of observations in the western Panhandle and the Trans-Pecos may also be in part a reflection of limited numbers of observers, and because of the paucity of public lands in Texas, lack of access to many areas.  Significantly, the heavily visited Big Bend area produced no fewer than six confirmed breeding records.  In the nineteenth century Turkey Vultures, and the closely related Black Vultures, were notorious scavengers in city dumps (Sprunt 1955), but today, with modern sanitation, they are almost entirely absent from large metropolitan areas except for occasional migrating birds.  They are, for example, listed as rare in a Dallas County checklist (Pulich 1977).

SEASONAL OCCURRENCE:  The Turkey Vulture, conspicuous in flight, is secretive in its breeding habits.  Nests are not often encountered.  Out of 1,549 records obtained by the TBBA, only 79 were confirmed records.  Turkey Vultures have a long breeding season.  Oberholser records eggs as early as February 15, and as late as July 30.  TBBA records suggest that breeding is at its height in April and May, with the earliest TBBA confirmed record for eggs being March 2.  At latilong 32095, D1, in east Texas a nest with two eggs, one already pipped, was photographed on April 18, 1990.

normally on the ground  (Kirk and Mossman 1998).  In suitable terrain, caves, cliff ledges, and rocky cavities may be exploited.  In other areas nesting occurs where dense undergrowth is available, or where the site is protected by swampland.  In the photograph mentioned above, the nest, a slight indentation in the ground, was centered in a large brush pile.  Hollow logs or stumps, and abandoned buildings also provide protected nesting sites.  Dark sites are preferred (Harrison 1978).  There is some evidence that some sites may be reused from year to year (Kirk and Mossman 1998).  Turkey Vultures will sometimes breed in loose aggregations with Black Vultures (Newton 1979).  Two eggs are normally laid, a pattern confirmed by TBBA observers.  The eggs are creamy white with highly variable spots and blotches in shades of brown.  Incubation, by both sexes, is 38-41 days (Brown and Amadon 1968).  The young, fed by regurgitation, are downy white with black heads, and are tended by both adults.  They fly when 70-80 days old.  An immature can be distinguished by its dark head and bill.

Text by Anthony Buckley (Posted  2006)