I had never seen a Turkey Vulture stand in water until I went to Florida. Hidden by one of the platforms on Merritt Island, I was able to get this close-up of one just taking off from a Mangrove. There is no crop.

Their feathers are a beautiful brown and tipped in silvery gray, but it is the head that fascinates me. I posted a close-up in the comments. Its sense of smell is highly developed. It has no nasal septum (wall dividing the nostrils) so you can see in one nostril and out the other. The white spots are "warts," which they develop as they age.

Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura

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... in the Western Hemisphere, but we don't see them in California. They rely on sight more than smell to find their carrion, so they soar higher than Turkey Vultures. They are very social and one of their favorite hangouts is in landfills.

Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus

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A most beautiful vulture if you don't mind bald heads!

King Vulture
Sarcoramphus papa

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Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura

Member of Nature’s Spirit
Good Stewards of Nature

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Harris's Hawk
Parabuteo unicinctus

Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura

Best enlarged

Member of Nature’s Spirit
Good Stewards of Nature

© 2023 Patricia Ware - All Rights Reserved

Tags:   Canon Canon EOS R3 Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM Lens Cathartes aura Edinburg Harris's Hawk Laguna Seca Ranch Parabuteo unicinctus Texas Tripod Turkey Vulture © 2023 Patricia Ware - All Rights Reserved Linn United States

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