CLASS AVES

Turkey Vulture

Animals Kingdom (Animalia)

• Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

• Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

• Birds (Class Aves)

This long-winged long-tailed vulture of the family Cathartidae has dark plumage, a whitish beak, white legs, and a bare red head (black in immature birds) that is covered with whitish bumps. The species subsists predominantly on carrion (dead and putrefying flesh), and it occurs throughout the Americas. They eat primarily mammals, although they will eat almost any dead animal they find, preferring a fresher kill to a badly decomposed carcass.They are named for their distinct red, bald heads, which look similar to that of a North American wild turkey. Their bare head lets the birds stay germ-free when they are eating a carcass; otherwise their feathers would get dirty.