Turkey Vulture

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The Turkey Vulture is the most widespread of the New World vultures. We find them from southern Canada to the southernmost South America. In the northern parts of its range, it is only a summer breeder. These bird’s highly developed olfactory sense enables them to locate concealed carcasses, and other scavengers will often follow them to locate the food source.

Science recognizes five subspecies of Turkey Vulture, two of which breed in North America:

C. a. septentrionalis breeds in eastern North America from southeastern Canada south to southeastern USA and spends winter in southeastern USA.
C. a. meridionalis (or C. a. teter) breeds in western North America east to southern Manitoba and south-central Texas. Most spend the winter in Central and South America, as far south as southern Brazil and Paraguay, but birds in the southern parts of their breeding range remain throughout the year.
C. a. aura breeds in western North America from southwestern Canada east to Manitoba, and western USA east to southern Texas,south to Costa Rica, and the Greater Antilles. They spend winter south to central South America.
C. a. ruficollis lives in southern Central America, South America and Trinidad.
C. a. jota lives on the Pacific coast of South America, south from Ecuador in the eastern Andes, south to Patagonia.
C. a. falklandica lives on the Pacific Coast from Ecuador and Peru south to Chile, and on the Falkland Islands.

These great scavengers have entertained me from California to Texas, and from Oregon east across the Great Basin.

Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura — **Turkey Vulture**
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**Description:**
Along the Mattole Road which leaves then rejoins US-101 south of Eureka and north of Weott in the 'Avenue of Giants' in Humbolt County California. It passes the westernmost point in the US (except Alaska & Hawaii).
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**Date Taken:** 2015:06:15 12:29

**Location:**

Mattole Road
Honeydew, California
United States
1637.22 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/8000

**File Name:** D3X0705-TurkeyVulture

© 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com

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Pin It — **Turkey Vulture**
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**Description:**
Along the Mattole Road which leaves then rejoins US-101 south of Eureka and north of Weott in the 'Avenue of Giants' in Humbolt County California. It passes the westernmost point in the US (except Alaska & Hawaii).
Read More

**Date Taken:** 2015:06:15 12:29

**Location:**

Mattole Road
Honeydew, California
United States
1637.22 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/8000

**File Name:** D3X0705-TurkeyVulture

© 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com

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Turkey Vulture - Agelaius phoeniceus — **Turkey Vulture**
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**Description:**
In the wooded lands near Butte Falls Oregon.
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**Date Taken:** 2016:05:03 9:35

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250

**File Name:** D729865-TurkeyVulture

© 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com

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Turkey Vulture

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Along the Mattole Road which leaves then rejoins US-101 south of Eureka and north of Weott in the 'Avenue of Giants' in Humbolt County California. It passes the westernmost point in the US (except Alaska & Hawaii).

Turkey Vulture

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The Tijuana River Valley Regional Park, San Diego County, California.

Turkey Vulture

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In the wooded lands near Butte Falls Oregon.

Turkey Vulture

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Southern Big Sur, Central California Coast.

Turkey Vulture

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Vista Grande site. Images from the SDNHM study of the Santa Rosa, San Jacinto Mountains. Riverside County, California.

Turkey Vulture

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Vista Grande site. Images from the SDNHM study of the Santa Rosa, San Jacinto Mountains. Riverside County, California.

Turkey Vulture

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Lake Poway. Poway (San Diego County), California.

Turkey Vulture

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Upper Gila River Valley near Cliff, New Mexico.

Turkey Vulture

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Upper Gila River Valley near Cliff, New Mexico.

Turkey Vulture

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Gardner Canyon. East Side Of The Santa Rita Mountains, North Of Sonoita, Southern Arizona.

Turkey Vulture

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I found this bird resting and waiting for the local fishermen to clean their catch at the shore of the Klamath River Mouth in Northern California.

Turkey Vulture

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Seen along US-Highway 395 south of Doyle California.

Turkey Vulture

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Vultures sometimes winter in the Imperial Valley. Vendel Road, Salton Sea NWR. Imperial County, Southern California.

Turkey Vulture

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South parking area of the Elephant Seal Viewing Area at Piedras Blancas north of San Simeon and south of Big Sur California. San Luis Obisbo County.

Turkey Vulture

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South Jetty of the Rogue River in Gold Beach Oregon.

Turkey Vulture

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A dead Harbor Seal meant a feast for the vultures at the South Jetty of the Rogue River in Gold Beach Oregon.

Turkey Vulture

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Garner Valley, in the vicinity of Lake Hemet., Riverside County, California.

Turkey Vulture

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Promontory Road is the route to the historic Golden Spike monument where the builders of the west bound and east bound sections of the first transcontinental railroads met and joined.

Turkey Vulture

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I drove to Aransas NWR late Saturday, but my first serious explorations were on Sunday, when I fell in love with Heron Flats, though my explorations carried me all the way to the "Big Tree" tower.

Turkey Vulture

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Both Black Vultures and these Turkey Vultures were seen all around this region. My third day of exploration of Aransas NWR was a memorable one. I boarded the tour boat the "Skimmer" and got schooled by Captian Tommy Moore on a three plus hour cruise of the back-bays and waterways beyond the view of the public from the tour roads on the reserve.

Turkey Vulture

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I drove to Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge on the South Texas Coast on Friday and spent the afternoon meeting new birds.

Turkey Vulture

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On my second day in camp I used my bike to explore the camp and chase birds here at the Triple R RV Resort on the Nueces River near Crystal City Texas.

Turkey Vulture

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Excepting the higher latutudes, Turkey Vultures migrate in spring to most places in North America. I drove for three plus hours to spend two lovely hours with these birds at the Cienega in Arivaca before turning onto my final leg of my homeward journey from my 2020 Texas adventure.

Turkey Vulture

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I hiked the Canyon Trail at Bosque del Apache on this Wednesday morning in New Mexico and met birds like these Turkey Vultures. I must admit some regrets about carrying my heavy camera gear on this long dry trail. It wore me out.

Turkey Vulture

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A dead Harbor Seal meant a feast for the vultures at the South Jetty of the Rogue River in Gold Beach Oregon.

Turkey Vulture

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Just as on my first visit to the sanctuary, I found about a hundred vultures (mostly Turkey Vultures) roosting in the palms, then kettling out as the day warmed up. It was ten days earlier when I paid my first visit to the Sabal Palm Sanctuary in Brownsville Texas. I tried to explore trails I missed last time here.

Turkey Vulture

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Turkey Vulture

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As the first person out on the trail this morning, I was greeted by perhaps 50 vultures roosting overnight in the palms. On my first visit to Texas last spring, the pandemic of 2020 caused the Sabal Palm Sanctuary to close its doors. It took until this Monday in January for me to manage my first visit here.

Turkey Vulture

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I was more interested in the Black Vultures, but who can resist a visit with a cute Turkey Vulture. Monday I took a quick tour at Aransas NWR. It was windy and raining, and so I kept my camera gear stowed in the RV, but I climbed the Big Tree Tower and saw lots of Black and Turkey Vultures perched in the trees below the tower. With better weather Tuesday, I set out to capture some closeups.