Thanks to “Badger” for these great pictures of a turkey vulture, which were taken this week in Pleasant Hill.
He sent the photos along with the following message:
My wife and I were doing some gardening in our backyard when a large bird flew over and landed on a telephone pole. I took a few pictures that are a little out of focus. The branches between me and the bird were messing with the auto focus. A second bird came up and chased it off the pole. They circled the area west of Pleasant Hill park on Gregory Ln. on and off for an hour.
Click on each photo for a much larger view.
Thanks again.
Too bad turkey vultures don’t go after turkeys.
Good pictures, thanks.
Yes it is, isn’t it. Good one, Dorothy.
Yes,….years ago, sometimes a turkey vulture would land on the telephone pole in our court. Wish I knew why they open their wings like that.
Thanks for sharing!
Spreading their wings helps them warm up from the sun.
to left the sun warm them and/or. air flow to dry wet or damp fearhers…
Vultures do not spread their wings for warmth. They eat lots of carrion, which is teeming with bacteria. The reason that they are spreading their wings is to expose the underside to the sun’s UV rays, which helps to kill bacteria. Bacteria exposure is also the reason that they have no feathers on their heads.
They’re featherless on their heads and necks so that when they put them into orifices of rotting carcasses they don’t end up with matted feathers full of yuck.
If only they would actually eat the turkeys.
The non-native wild turkey population in the Bay Area is getting out of control.
The turkey vulture was overheard crying out, “Bring out your dead.”
“I’m not dead yet!”
“Those vultures were actually opening their wings to the sun, as they do every morning, to allow the ultraviolet rays to kill any bacteria they might have picked up on their feathers while feeding on dead animals”.
Gary Bogue
It’s called the Horaltic Pose. Did you know they vomit as a self defense tactic, pee and poop on themselves to cool in summer and that their flesh is toxic? Me neither. Thanks Internet. 👊
Watch out, they spit
Years ago when Gary Bogue had his column I was featured. The title of his column was Resident excitied about Vultures. We had a dozen Vultures desend on our yard. Being so excited I sent Gary an email. Gary was amused at how excited I was and the next morning he printed my email.
Mother Nature’s little cleaning crew. I was so sad to see a precious squirrel dead in the street. Not 10 min later, 2 of these magnificent beasts were on it! Circle of life in full swing! Made the passing of the cute little squirrel a drop more bearable.
I saw that turkey vulture yesterday sitting on a fence on Vine Hill Rd close to Alhambra Ave in Martinez. It’s wild kingdom out there!,,,,,,
Nasty beast indeed.
One year I was visited by several Turkey Vultures that would roost overnight in my Walnut trees. They left a remarkable mess on the ground where ever they spent the night. Apparently what they were eating didn’t exactly agree with them. As the sun came up they would sit like this with their wi gs extended until they were warmed up and then take off. The flap of their wings was something to see, and very noisy at that. I watched as they began circling at the foot of Mt. Diablo, getting higher and higher with each time around until they caught a current that carried them in the direction of Marsh Creek Road. In the evening, they would come back and settle in the Walnut trees until the next morning. This went on for almost a week, and then one day they didn’t come back that night, at least not to my trees. It was a sight to see these huge birds delicately perched in my trees in the backyard. Other than the noise they made with their massive wings, they strangely silent.