Common Names
- Turkey Vulture (en)
- Urubú de cabeza roja (es)
- Urubu à tête rouge (fr)
- Truthahngeier (de)
Taxonomy
- Cathartiformes
- Cathartidae
- Cathartes aura
Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura
A large bird, common around Montreal, and a scavenger feeding almost exclusively on carrion. Viewed against the sky, the bird appears black but in fact the bird is dark-brown and the bottom of the wings are light brown.
Where & When to Spot
This species stays in the Montreal area only in summer and can be seen flying looking for cadavers over any park.
Observation Logs
On every park visit, we maintain a log of species spotted and identified. If you maintain a similar list, please consider sharing it with Muuuh Wildlife Photography: Share Logs.
| Location | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Angrignon, Montreal | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Park Mont-Royal | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Rapids Park Lachine | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Times a species has been spotted, identified and logged while visiting this park. A species is reported only once / park visit. Only parks listed which we visit frequently all year long. Consult the page animal tracking about how we log observations in field.
How to Identify
If you are able to have a good look at the color and shape of its head, easy to identify. On distance, dark almost black, flying in circles, groups with others of the same species.
Photos
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Park Mont-Royal - 2019-07-14
NIKON D500; 300mm f/4.0; Focal Length 420mm; Exposure 1/2000; Aperture f6.3; Iso 220;
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
bromont - 2017-07-23
NIKON D500; TAMRON SP AF 150-600mm F5-6.3 VC USD A011N; Focal Length 600mm; Exposure 1/1250; Aperture f6.3; Iso 280;
For high quality, free available photos visit our profile on Unsplash.