Turkey Vulture

There's a spot at Washington Valley Park where I can usually find Turkey Vultures. I wouldn't be shocked if some Black Vultures hang out there too, but most of the time when I get an ID it's a Turkey Vulture that I see in this spot. Seeing a little bit of red on the head easily distinguishes this Turkey Vulture from its Black Vulture cousins.

I'm not sure why this spot is popular with vultures, though I suspect it's one of the higher spots in the park and it's adjacent to grassy areas. These may combine to give the vultures a relatively good view of the landscape, possibly helping them spot a dead animal before getting airborne. And it's not the busiest part of the park, so there are relatively few of those scary humans coming by. But AFAIK it's not a hotbed of dying animals.

June 11, 2021 at Washington Valley Park
Photo 136371147, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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