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A common sight soaring above our heads every spring are the ubiquitous turkey vultures. Similar in size to eagles, turkey vultures fly at lower altitudes with their wings in a V-shaped angle called a dihedral, rocking side-to side as they glide on thermals.
Turkey vultures are scavengers, eating only carrion (dead animals), providing an important service in preventing the spread of dangerous bacteria to the environment.
Turkey vultures have several adaptations in their job as nature’s clean-up crew.
Although their legs and talons are weak, their excellent eyesight and unique sense of smell (unusual in birds) allow it to spot the carcasses, preferring freshly killed animals. Their bald heads prevent bacteria getting trapped in feathers and extremely strong stomach acids kill the bacteria before it hits their intestines. One other adaptation, after standing in carcasses, is that the turkey vulture will urinate on its legs, both to cool down and to to kill any bacteria that might remain.
To learn more about this annual phenomenon:
For Kids:
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