I often wondered where they went at night. This was taken about 45 minutes before sunrise.
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Emigrant Lake - Jackson County - Oregon - USA
Habitat : Open Woodlands
Food : Carrion
Nesting : Cliff
Behavior : Soaring
Convervation : Low Concern
"If you’ve gone looking for raptors on a clear day, your heart has probably leaped at the sight of a large, soaring bird in the distance– perhaps an eagle or osprey. But if it's soaring with its wings raised in a V and making wobbly circles, it's likely a Turkey Vulture. These birds ride thermals in the sky and use their keen sense of smell to find fresh carcasses. They are a consummate scavenger, cleaning up the countryside one bite of their sharply hooked bill at a time, and never mussing a feather on their bald heads".
- Cornell Unversity Lab of Ornithology
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