Turkey vulture facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Turkey vulture |
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Cathartes
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| Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758)
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The turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), is a bird found throughout most of the Americas. It is also known as the turkey buzzard (or just buzzard), and in some areas of the Caribbean as John crow or carrion crow.
It is one of three species in the genus Cathartes, ranging from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America. It lives in open and semi-open areas, including subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and deserts. The turkey vulture received its common name from the resemblance of the adult's bald red head and its dark plumage to that of the male wild turkey, while the name "vulture" is derived from the Latin word vulturus, meaning "tearer", and is a reference to its feeding habits.
Images for kids
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In flight over Cuba
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An eastern turkey vulture (C. a. septentrionalis) (Canada)
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Skull of a turkey vulture
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An eastern turkey vulture (C. a. septentrionalis) in flight (Canada)
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Adult bird in horaltic pose
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One chick immediately hatched and one egg not yet hatched
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A turkey vulture eating a garter snake
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A side view, showing the perforated nostrils
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See also
In Spanish: Cathartes aura para niños
