Turkey vultures at their best

The turkey vulture is not a graceful animal while on the ground, nor does it have a pretty face. But it is graceful in flight, and when a large congregation of them is observed soaring effortlessly in a winter sky it is difficult not to watch. Around and around they will circle, sometimes flying very high and sometimes circling low.

At slightly more than four pounds as an adult, the bird weighs much less that it appears. The only discernible difference in the sexes is that the female is usually a bit larger than the male.

Turkey vultures are migratory birds, and although some of them will fly as far south for winter as southern South America, large numbers frequently will winter in our area. Their summer breeding range covers the northern United States and southern Canada. A scavenger, this bird regularly can be seen along roadsides feeding on roadkill.