Pictures of Turkey Vultures

[TheSitcomGirls]

Just wanted to post these pictures of the Vultures we have here in CT. Finally got some close enough to see the red head! I believe they are called Turkey Vultures. They have never gone after my chickens. When it is very windy they do fly lower and some of the chickens get a little nervous.....but nobody runs to hide. We have a group of three that hang out together. I have seen them go after red tailed hawks in their territory. I would be interested to know if anyone has had birds like this that do go after their chickens.

 

[navychick]

I assumed they eat primarily dead animals. I often see them on road kill.

 

[tiffanyg2]

Yea I thought they only eat already dead animals? Do they attack live chickens!????

 

[flowergirl60]

I see them everyday. They fly pretty close over my backyard. Kinda scary, but they haven't bothered my chickens.

 

[EweSheep]

As the guy who ran the raptor's seminar, no turkey vultures do not attack chickens, but they will eat DEAD animals. Takes too much effort for them to hunt. They do not have the talons to make their kill nor the streamlined body and flight feathers to make their stealth killings.

 

[Nambroth]

Though I am sure that someone will say otherwise to prove me wrong, I have never heard of a turkey vulture attacking or harassing a healthy adult chicken. They are primarily scavengers and they lack the wicked killing talons and foot strength of other raptors (hawks, eagles, falcons, etc).

It is my opinion that turkey vultures are always beneficial to have around, rather than harmful. I welcome seeing them!

 

[goldeneggtees]

It is highly unlikely they will go after your birds. I saw 2 black vultures in front of the very busy road we live on a few weeks back. It was so cool, they were eating a dead squirrel. Here is a pic…

 

[kristip]

no they like their food dead and rotting. We have tons of them and you can tell the turkey vultures by the wings almost looking like fingers...very seperated. Coll birds. Great pics!

 

[Opa]

Vultures are uniquely adapted to the niche they hold in nature. Their feet do not possess the strength that raptors have so they can't kill anything. Their heads and necks have evolved to not having feathers for higienic reasons. Offal does stick to their skin like it would feathers and what little does is washed off with the first rain. Their feathers lack oils so the wash off very easy. Lacking oil they feather become very wet and they will have difficulty flying. that's why you will see vultures roosting with their wings splayed out to speed drying.
They will often gorge themselves to the point of not being able to fly and will regurgitate until they return to takeoff weight. This ability also provides their primary defense method, projectile vomit. Take pictures but don't get too close.

 

[goldeneggtees]

oooh, thanks for the info Opa. Might explain why I saw them take off right before the heavy thunderstorm rolled in, prior to that, they were on my neighbor's roof sitting in the drizzle. Didn't know about the projectile vomit, I would have kept a larger distance between us.

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