Vultures get a bad rap. Scavengers usually do. I remember an uproar when people suggested that the Tyrannosaurus Rex might have been a scavenger. People were unwilling to believe that the biggest raptor could have been a scavenger. Their evidence was not without merit. The T-Rex had the largest olfactory nerve center in the fossil record. 2nd biggest is the turkey vulture. And some of the largest flying birds today are scavengers of some sort, Eurasian Black Vulture, Andean Vulture to name a few.
But back to today's vultures. I've included some pictures of the 2 Vultures living here in Southern New England. The Turkey Vulture and the Black Vulture. Both are fairly visible around here and common. The Black Vulture has only become common in the past decade or so. Whether that's a product of climate change or not, that's up for debate. Their sensory prowess is definitely up for debate as even JJ Audubon was know to experiment with sense smell. So think about vultures next time you see them in the sky, you are in good company!
Until the next time, go outside and bird!
A Turkey Vulture perched up high
A Close Up of a Turkey Vulture
A Black Vulture soaring in the sky
Wild Bird Wednesday - link here
