The Turkey Vulture
by Gary Keesler
Title
The Turkey Vulture
Artist
Gary Keesler
Medium
Photograph - Digital Art Photography
Description
The "Turkey Vulture" (Cathartes aura), also known in some North American regions as the Turkey Buzzard (or just buzzard), and in some areas of the Caribbean as the John Crow or Carrion Crow, is the most widespread of the New World Vultures.
Like other Vultures, it plays an important role in the ecosystem by disposing of carrion which would otherwise be a breeding ground for disease, just like part of Gods clean-up crew working strictly for food and doing an amazing job.
The Turkey Vulture can often be seen along roadsides feeding on roadkill, or near bodies of water, feeding on washed-up fish.
The Turkey Vulture feeds primarily on a wide variety of carrion, from small mammals to large grazers, preferring those recently dead, and avoiding carcasses that have reached the point of putrefaction.
They may rarely feed on plant matter, shoreline vegetation, pumpkin and other crops, live insects and other invertebrates.
In South America, Turkey Vulture have been photographed feeding on the fruits of the introduced oil palm. They rarely, if ever, kill prey themselves.
They also will feed on fish or insects which have become stranded in shallow water.
One of three species in the genus Cathartes, in the family Cathartidae, the Turkey Vulture 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, but this image was captured on a Pennslvania roadside in the Poconos.
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Uploaded
November 6th, 2014
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