HistoryGal
source of the photo above: http://www.photos-animaux.com/529434.html
The « Urubu » called a Turkey vulture or buzzard in English is a vulture or « vautour ». The territory of this red headed « Urubu » is located in the New World from the southern tip of South American to the south of Canada although lately it has even expanded its territory to slightly more Northern regions of Canada. With such a vast territory you can see a « Urubu » anywhere from sub tropical areas to deserts to shrub lands to the prairies and pastures.
Despite the fact that there are vultures in the Old World of Europe, Africa and Asia this New World vultures is not related to them. Rather it just evolved naturally all by its lonesome in the New World. In the next picture is an African vulture.
<a data-snax-placeholder="Source" class="snax-figure-source" href="http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2016/09/28/les-vautours-africains-pourraient-disparaitre-d-ici-a-quinze-ans_5004566_3244.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2016/09/28/les-vautours-africains-pourraient-disparaitre-d-ici-a-quinze-ans_5004566_3244.html</a>
And here is a picture of the « Urubu » taken in Canada.
<a data-snax-placeholder="Source" class="snax-figure-source" href="https://www.theweathernetwork.com/photos/view/20467/lurubus-tte-rouge/33275712" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.theweathernetwork.com/photos/view/20467/lurubus-tte-rouge/33275712</a>
The « Urubu » is from the genus Cathartes of the greater family Cathartidae. This particular « Urubu » is called the red headed Turkey vulture. The head is rather small, has no feathers at all and only has slightly red wrinkly skin covering it. The beak is hooked down and the color of ivory. The body is covered with black feathers.
This particular bird is rather big with a wing span of 63 to 72 feet (160-183 cm). It measure anywhere between 24 to 32 inches in length (62-81 cm) and can weigh 1.8 to 5.3 pounds (.8 to 2.41 kg). It has basically no predators against him except for its eggs and chicks.
The « Urubu » just like most vultures is an excellent gliding type bird. It can actually glide for several hours without flapping its wings which are fully extended. So the Turkey vulture turns around in circle using the upward mass of hot air to go up and stay up while circling.
The « Urubu » is a scavenger necrophagous carrion eating bird. It finds its food with its eyes and his super keen sense of smell. His sense of smell can capt the ethyl mercaptan emanations (gases produced by decay) from the decomposition of dead animals. It can also eat decomposed vegetation such as pumpkin, fruits from different palm trees etc. With this affinity in eating dead carcasses this quite different bird or « Urubu » plays an important ecological role because it gets rid of carrion which would otherwise become a large breeding ground for diseases.
In the Quebec province (where I reside), the Turkey vulture’s diet consist mostly of small mammals such as woodchucks or groundhogs and the occasional domestic animal because its beak is too small to cut through the leather of bigger animals. The « Urubu » will however sometimes eat bigger carcasses if they have decomposed further or if they have open wounds brought on by other animals such as wolves or from a road accident.
In more tropical region, the « Urubu » will partner with other vultures such as the black headed « Urubu ». This last bird has a bigger and a stronger beak and can break through almost any leather. So these two different headed birds can collaborate together with the red headed « Urubu », who has a stronger sense of smell, finds carrion and the black headed « Urubu » opens up the carrion with its bigger and stronger beak.
But just like other opportunistic birds, the « Urubu » whether in North or South America can also frequent the many dumps spread along the two continents as its feeding ground.
And this is my presentation for the letter U. See you soon for the letter V.
Again a very interesting post and info. The bird is beautiful and a little scary.
I totally agree with you. Its red bald head is slightly ghoulish but it serves the purpose of picking vermine clean and stop the spread of diseases. Thanks for your visit and comment and up vote.
I have always admired vultures, they are nature’s doctors.
I have to agree as they do get rid of vermine which can bring on diseases. I have never personally seen any urubu unless they were so high in the sky that I could not distinguish them from other birds. Thanks for dropping in, commenting and up voting.
I haven’t seen them in person, maybe only in the zoo, but I think they don’t deserve the bad reputation they have.
Having never seen a vulture of any kind I find this an interesting read. I love finding out how and why different species are a valuable part of the chain…
I have only seen vultures on TV unless sometimes I see large birds way up in the sky who could be vultures but it is very hard to distinguish. I enjoyed writing about the urubu vautour as it is a necessary bird. Thanks for visiting and commenting and up voting.
My pleasure it was as I said an interesting post 🙂
Love this series!
There is a flock of these that clean the roads between the greenways where we live. 20 or so of them that fly together.
My daughter won’t go near them! Sometimes they land on our deck!
I must say I do not think I have ever seen them where I reside. But there is not a whole lot of road kills here along our streets… But still a big thank you for your visit and comment and up vote.
The dogs wish to dispatch them when we pass the flock!
Great information. We used to have vultures here when I was younger I wonder where they went.
Most vultures that I know of are very early risers and late evening… Thanks for dropping in and commenting and up voting.
Beautiful bird , Thanks for sharing
I am happy you found my presentation interesting. Thank you for visiting and commenting and up voting.
Thank you for sharing these are truly amazing birds
Yes this type of vulture just like all the other types of vultures are a necessary means to get rid of road kill, vermin etc. Thanks for your visit, your grand comment and up vote.
I only saw this bird on TV, my friend
I do not think I have seen them in person although I could have mistaken them for eagles or other birds. I have often seen them on TV but mostly the African vultures… Thanks for dropping in and commenting and up voting.
We also have eagles, which are quite large … only eagles do not have white heads
Amazing history of this bird. A familiar sight in the sky over much of North America is the dark, long-winged form of the Turkey Vulture, soaring high over the landscape.
Most birds are believed to have a very poor sense of smell, but the Turkey Vulture is an exception, apparently able to find carrion by odor.
You seem to know this bird very well. I have to admit I have never seen any unless they were too high for me to distinguish them. Thank you for your visit, your enlightened comment and up vote.
Any time I see a bird in the backyard or nearby, I research as much as I can. Very interesting one here.