Turkey Vulture

The turkey vulture is a large scavenging bird found from southern Canada through most of the Americas to the southern tip of South America, one of the most widespread vultures in the Western Hemisphere. It has dark brownish-black plumage and a bald, red head, an adaptation that helps keep it clean while feeding on carrion, its almost exclusive food source, which it locates using an unusually well developed sense of smell rare among birds. Turkey vultures are frequently seen soaring for long periods with wings held in a shallow V-shape and barely a wingbeat, riding thermal air currents to search efficiently over large areas with minimal energy expenditure. Despite its unglamorous diet and appearance, the species plays an important ecological role in removing carcasses from the landscape, and it remains common and widespread across its entire range.