Turkey Vulture Bird Identification

Turkey Vulture bird ID from below

Turkey Vulture Q: What kind of birds are these? There were 7 soaring above me for close to 20 minutes.

They appeared to be playing in the wind being pushed up from our little holler. A good 3 ft span.

After they drifted off to the southwest the songbirds came back. I had not noticed it was quiet until they disturbed some crows down the draw.

I live on the south side of Louisville, KY. For a time I think they were showing off. Most wondrous thing to see. Thank you. Mike Heine, Louisville, KY

A: From what we can see from the photo, it looks like a Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura).

Turkey Vulture ID from closeup of red head

They are often seen soaring together in large flocks. Turkey Vultures are large birds with a wing span between 5-6 feet.

Using thermal updrafts, or rising columns of air, they soar across the sky looking for carrion to feed upon as these birds are scavengers.

When soaring, they often will form a "V" shape with their wings and kind of teeter-totter back and forth in the wind.

When you see a group of vultures rising up in the thermals to gain altitude, this is called a kettle.

As for the songbirds becoming quiet, this is an instinctual reaction to large soaring birds from above because they cannot distinguish between a bird of prey silhouette vs a vulture silhouette.

Turkey Vulture ID and Info

Related Bird Identification Pages

Bird Identification

Bird Field Guides

Wild Bird Identification

Best Birding Apps for iPhone

Bird Song Identification

Bird Watching Tips

Warbler Identification Guide

Turkey Vulture Life History

Image courtesy of Jerry's Stuff on Flickr

Our Favorite
Bird Watching Binoculars, Squirrel-Proof Feeder & Hummingbird Feeder
Read Our Reviews:
nikon monarch binoculars for birdwatching
Nikon Monarch M5
Best mid-priced bird watching binoculars. Waterproof, shockproof, multi-coated ED-Glass.
best squirrel proof bird feeder no batteries required
Squirrel-Proof
No batteries, adjustable, easy to clean...and no squirrels!
"Best New Product" Award.
use bird bath heaters to defrost ice during the winter
Bird Bath Heater
Keeps your bird baths ice-free down to -20 F. Low-operating costs ~$1/mo
Click Images or Links To View More Info
For the Latest Bird Watching News, Hot Birding Spots, Tips & More,
Subscribe to Our FREE Newsletter: The Birder Alert!
Enter Your Email:

Don't worry — your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you The Birder Alert!.
Get Updates...It's FREE!
Enter Your Email:

Join Us On:
birdwatching facebook birdwatching pinterest