How do I tell a turkey vulture from a hawk when it is high in the sky?

[OldGuy43]

It has been my experience that hawks are lone hunters while vultures tend to flock.

 

[Yetti]

Quote:
Thanks Popsicle. I see what you mean about the rest of the coloring now that I compare the pics. I was pulling pics off the net that were marked as best as I could find. I did find many others that were named wrong also.
as for the "wing set" or how they hold the wings while flying the Red tails we have here in Michigan hold the leading edge of the wing way forward of straight. they like to carve into the wind it looks like.
as for others I get around here the Kestrels are the most fun to watch. they can hang in mid air for what seems like and hour watching something on the ground then they just pounce on it.

 

[geoff40]

A turkey vulture is a lot bigger than a hawk. But more importantly, the vulture does not hold it's wings straight out to the sides, but rather you will see the wings held out in a very broad, shallow V. The wing tips will be above the body. It is unmistakable. You can tell a turkey vulture right off, from a long ways away, because of this.

The bird watchers will tell you, V sfor vulture, this is how they identify them.

 

[christineavatar]

Also, the Turkey vulture does not fly as true as the hawk. There is a slight wobble in the way the vulture flies.

 

[Nambroth]

The shallow V shape of the wings plus the wobble (I call them slightly tipsy) always are the key indicators for a turkey vulture at a distance, to me. Colors, even light vs. dark, can be hard to see from far away in a bight sky! The wobble always gives it away for me.

 

[epeloquin]

This website is really helpful too

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Turkey_Vulture/id/ac

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-tailed_hawk/id/ac

 

[halo]

The v shaped silhouette is the best way to tell. If the wings are straight across (like an airplane), its a hawk or an eagle. If the silhouette has a slight v shape, its a vulture.

 

[desertal]

For me, the best way to tell is to notice the angle of the wings while the birds are soaring. Most hawks and eagles will hold their wings horizontal when soaring. Vultures will hold them slightly above horizontal in a bit of a "V" shape. It's not foolproof, but with the other good suggestions offered so far, it's one more identifying character. Click on the photo below for a larger version, and you will see what I mean.

 

[OMGchicken]

Also, I believe that hawks are using loners, as vultures fly in groups. Is this true?

 

[Nambroth]

Also, I believe that hawks are using loners, as vultures fly in groups. Is this true?

Sometimes. Most hawks are not very social, and may only fly singly or in pairs (mated pairs). That said, during migrations, they can travel together... sometimes by the thousands!