raptorsandpoultry:Earlier this week I reblogged a bunch of posts, one of which featured a turkey vul
raptorsandpoultry:Earlier this week I reblogged a bunch of posts, one of which featured a turkey vulture (Cathartes aura). I noticed that it received the least attention, among some artwork of chickens and falcons. Let’s try and fix that by learning some great facts to appreciate these guys more!Pictured above is Socrates, the first bird I ever worked with at Wild Ontario (photo credits), and I unironically think that he was quite the handsome fellow. Other folks may have a hard time agreeing, with regards to Socrates or turkey vultures in general, and at first glance, you can’t blame them. Note his (mostly) naked, wrinkly head. Other turn-offs include: covering their legs in their own waste, stinky vomit, eating dead stuff.But wait! Each of these are special adaptations that have very useful functions!1. Ugly head: There is a reason nearly all vulture species lack feathers on their head. Ever seen this famous National Geographic photo? Look at all the blood and meat bits drenching the head and neck of this griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), presumably after sticking its head into a carcass. In birds, the head is often the most difficult area to clean, or preen. On a bird with a fully-feathered head, a mess like this would remain caked on for too long, providing a breeding ground for parasites and bacteria. Vultures, on the other hand, don’t have to worry about this, and any microbes that are left are cooked by UV rays when they sunbathe.2. Dirty legs: Vultures can excrete their waste (feces/urates) in a way that causes it to coat their legs. This has a thermoregulatory purpose, as the water content of the waste evaporates and cools their overall body temperature on hot days.3. Stinky vomit: You may have heard that turkey vultures can “projectile vomit”. While it’s not exactly projectile in that the vomit doesn’t travel any appreciable distance, it is true that this is a defensive behaviour. When threatened/very stressed, some vultures will expel the contents of their crop. The foul odour often discourages potential predators/adversaries, and getting rid of that load aids in a slightly quicker escape.4. Eating dead stuff: This is the most important one! Someone has to do this, or else you’d be stepping in rotting meat most places you try to go, and exposing yourself to all the gross decay and bacteria. Vultures keep ecosystems clean and healthy. Not only are they immune to the species of bacteria and their associated toxins that are responsible for deadly illnesses such as botulism and anthrax, but they’re able to destroy many (but not all) of these species with their powerful digestive secretions. So, please appreciate these natural garbage collectors! Speaking of garbage, please also do not throw trash out your window while you’re driving. Trash attracts animals like rats and raccoons, who get tragically hit by cars on the side of the road, whose carcasses then attract raptors, corvids, and vultures, who then also get tragically hit by cars.Thanks for reading :) -- source link