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Doug J | all galleries >> Galleries >> Birds of Florida > Turkey Vulture
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07-Mar-2017 Copyright Douglas Janson

Turkey Vulture

Sarasota, Florida

Scientific name: Cathartes aura

The turkey vulture, 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. It ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America and inhabits a variety of open and semi-open areas, including subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and deserts.

The turkey vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion, It finds its food using its keen eyes and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gases produced by the beginnings of the process of decay in dead animals. In flight, it uses thermals to move through the air, flapping its wings infrequently. It roosts in large community groups. It nests in caves, hollow trees, or thickets.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_vulture" >Click for more information on this species at Wikipedia
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