Turkey Vulture - Spectacular In Flight!
Turkey Vulture - Spectacular in Flight - Staff Writer - 7/17/2010 GGFL
Today I attended a seminar in San Semeon, California involving various aspects of wildlife.
The man actually had a vulture on his arm.
I have seen these big birds soar in the sky, eating dead animals along the road but never perched on a man's arm.
I was really cool. The big bird let me get really close and it never moved a muscle.
The man told me Turkey Vultures were extremely non-aggressive.
The bird does get a bad rap because of what they eat but I found out the bird does eat dead meat but it also consumes plants, pumpkin and bits of other crops.
I thought that was interesting because I thought they only ate dead animals and people and horses and things of that nature.
The bird in the picture is about 25 inches long, with a wingspan around 6 feet. The man told me healthy vultures weighted about 6 lbs.
Oh, I almost forgot to address this question. What is the difference between what a human eats and a vulture? Think about it hard for a minute. Ok, the answer is... we cook our meat.
Have you ever watched one of these big birds soar through the sky? The bird launch themselves from their perches only after the morning air has warmed. Then they circle upward searching for pockets of rising warm air, or thermals.
Once they secure a thermal, they allow it to carry them upward in rising circles. When they reach the top of a thermal, they dive across the sky at speeds of near 60 miles per hour, losing altitude until they reach another thermal. Wow, is that cool or what. This man at the seminar told me so much about the bird.
These fantastic creatures are not endangered but I thought everyone would like to know more about this bird. Why do you think the birds circle? This is interesting to say the least. I always thought they circled because something was dead but that isn't always the truth.
Circling vultures may be gaining altitude for a long flight, searching for food or playing. My first thoughts when I was told a vulture plays was... you gotta be kidding. The man told me American vultures are not known to circle a dying animal.
To say the least, it was interesting to stay that close to vulture and look it in the eye. You know, it actually looked friendly up close.
One more important thing I want to mention. The Turkey Vulture urinates on its legs to kill bacteria from dead animals.
OK, well I guess that is important to know but for us humans there is a better way to kill bacteria.
In fact, if you want a healthy, non-toxic way of killing germs on your hands I have a few products to suggest. I think these products will work better for your than urine.
Turkey Vulture
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