Just fifty years ago this species was a rarity within Northumberland and now they are commonplace. The gain has been especially noticeable over the past two decades, with numbers getting higher and higher each year. It's interesting to think about how much of this expansion is due to changes we have made to the landscape that now favour vultures, and how much results from a natural, gradual expansion as part of a broader natural cycle. There are many species worldwide, but only the Turkey Vulture is established and common in Ontario. Black Vultures, abundant in the southern US and beyond, are still rare here, but are increasingly frequent visitors to southern Ontario and should be watched for.
Turkey Vultures are fairly easy to identify, even without binoculars.
The bare skin is red in adults and grey in young birds, and is thought to be an adaptation for keeping their heads clean, given their unusual tastes and feeding habits. These birds are highly specialized. For one thing, Turkey Vultures are one of the relatively few birds that have a highly developed sense of smell, and it is this sense that gives them an edge in finding food within the forest where other scavenging birds such as gulls don't search for food. Because Turkey Vultures soar to locate food, they rely on warm air thermals for lift during much of their flying time. Similarly, as late afternoon approaches and the air cools, vultures will return to area woodlots and forests to roost for the night.