What's this

[weldingisfun]

Yep, turkey vulture for sure.

 

[JB4310]

So what do they eat? do they really circle over dead or dying pray like in the wild, wild west movies?

This is Connecticut, maybe they've spotted some hedge fund managers

 

[scott_vt]

So what do they eat? do they really circle over dead or dying pray like in the wild, wild west movies?

This is Connecticut, maybe they've spotted some hedge fund managers

Good Evenin John,
Gee you answered your own question !

Im thinkin small varmints and roadkill !

 

[RobS]

Yup, turkey vulture. Different than a buzzard, though I don't recall the exact differences.

Here's a couple I shot earlier this year...

 

[EddieWalker]

We have Turkey Vultures here all the time. We also have Black Vultures, but they are seasonal. Here are a few pictures that my wife took of ome Turkey Vultures.

Eddie

 

[coopers]

Buzzard is the English term for a hawk. Hawks and vultures are very different. Turkey vultures are scavangers. They are one of the few birds in the world that can actually smell. Turkey Vultures are forest vultures, they cannot rely on site to find carrion. Smell is the next best option. The reason why vultures circle over their food is one, they need to make absolute sure the ground is clear of predators (lions, hyenas, bobcats, wolves etc). These birds are not very agile and have no real way to defend themselves like hawks and eagles. So landing at the wrong time is just not an option they'd like to entertain. Another reason for the circling is to let others know there is food. The more birds on the ground means more eyes watching out for predators. They also circle because it's conserves energy. Flying at level flight uses up a lot of energy, when you circle and use thermals it doesn't. Here's a picture of the King Vulture from S. America. This bird is another forest vulture and is another one of the few birds that uses smell for locating carrion.

 

[BungeeII]

The Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura, also known in some North American regions as the Turkey Buzzard (or just "buzzard"), is a bird found throughout most of the Americas.

Turkey Vulture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[BungeeII]

The Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura, also known in some North American regions as the Turkey Buzzard (or just "buzzard"), is a bird found throughout most of the Americas.

Turkey Vulture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If the site did not automatically translate that Link into a title, you'd even see that it's address ends in turkey_buzzard.

 

[jinman]

This post reminds me of a funny story about a former boss. We worked on the 4th floor of a building and she was my director. One morning she came out of her office screaming as if she was totally disgusted. It turns out that two turkey vultures had chosen the ledge outside her office window to procreate the species. She heard something behind her and looked out the window to see them in amorous embrace. Love was NOT in the air. She would not go back into her office the rest of the day.

 

[coopers]

Don't believe everything on that wikipedia thing....buzzard is a commonly misused name for vulture...there are many different species of buzzards...referring to hawks. Europeans use that term. Here's what a buzzard is....this is a common buzzard from Europe. Similar to our red tailed hawks etc. It's a member of the buteo family.