The turkey vulture is the most widespread of the New World vultures. One of three species in the genus Cathartes, in the family Cathartidae, it ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America, inhabiting subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and deserts. Like all New World vultures, it is not related to the Old World vultures of Europe, Africa, and Asia, but looks nearly identical to them because of convergent evolution, in which unrelated animals adapting to the same conditions are similarly shaped by natural selection. The turkey vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion. It finds its food using its keen eyes and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gases produced by decaying animal corpses. In flight, it uses thermals to move through the air, flapping its wings infrequently. It roosts in large community groups. Lacking a vocal organ, its only vocalizations are grunts or low hisses. It nests in caves, hollow trees, or thickets.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 05:27:59 +0000
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