Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758)

Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura, is a widespread bird of North America, Middle America and South America, found across a broad span from southern Canada to the far south of the continent. It lives in open and partly open country, including subtropical woodland, scrub, grassland and desert. Its place among the New World vultures is marked by its wide range. It is a scavenger that feeds almost entirely on carrion, and it locates food by sight and smell. It nests in caves, hollow trees or thickets, and usually raises two chicks each year.

Order

Accipitriformes

Family

Cathartidae — New World Vultures

Breeding range

North America, Middle America, South America: widespread