Turkey Vultures Soar in August
We have had another spectacular week here at the Dry Tortugas National Park and Fort Jefferson. While enjoying our normal sunny Florida Keys' weather, our visitors have been out and about enjoying our many different species of birds.
Our favorite bird sighting this week is the Turkey Vulture. A flock of Turkey Vultures took refuge at Fort Jefferson this week to roost. Our birdwatchers were fortunate during the week to view a small group of Turkey Vultures perched on the tower at the fort. One of our largest birds, this vulture grows up to 32 inches long with a wingspan of six feet. It is black with a bare reddish head and has yellow feet and a yellow bill. When these birds are soaring, you can see their silvery-colored flight feathers from below. These vultures are generally seen soaring high up in the sky for hours at a time while searching for food. Because they ride on thermals, the Turkey Vultures are able to fly with very few wing beats.
The Turkey Vulture's distinctive leisurely, wobbly flight style perhaps is why it is able to soar at such low altitudes, allowing this bird to make better use of its nose while searching carrion. These vultures find their dinner by their excellent sense of smell. While mostly eating mammals, or snacking on amphibians, fish, reptile, other birds, and even invertebrates, they actually prefer freshly dead animals. They sometimes must wait for their dinner to soften a bit in order to pierce the skin. Thankfully, these vultures have excellent immune systems, as they enjoy carcasses without contracting salmonella, botulism, anthrax, or cholera. Unlike their relative, the Black Vulture, the Turkey Vulture almost never attacks living prey. Considering what these vultures eat, they are some of the cleanest animals around. Since they have such few feathers on their heads, they can easily wash them, and they are constantly seen cleaning out their feathers with their bills, sometimes even enjoying a bath in water.
Unlike other birds in the area, Turkey Vultures prefer nesting in hollow trees, rock crevices, caves, ledges, or hollow fallen logs. Since they don't build nests, they just lay their eggs on the ground. The young vulture will generally leave about ten weeks after hatching.
The Turkey Vultures are very important to the environment because of their natural "clean-up" instinct. They make dead animals, such as roadkill, vanish. If not for these vultures, the possibility for the spread of dangerous diseases would exist more than it does. Their very efficient digestive systems are being examined by scientists to see how they operate in order to learn other possible ways to prevent diseases.
So, while these vultures are not very pretty to look at, keep in mind how important they are to nature and science when you come out to visit our most distinguished guests.