Turkey Vultures

Turkey vultures are large, dark brown birds with bald, red heads and pale bills with white tips.

International Vulture Awareness Day 2023

By |2023-09-02T05:25:14-06:00September 2nd, 2023|Categories: Birds, Black Vultures, Box Elder County, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today is International Vulture Awareness Day 2023. I admit to having a soft spot for vultures because they are often misunderstood, and because I tend to stand up for those who have no voice.

International Vulture Awareness Day 2022

By |2022-09-03T05:35:50-06:00September 3rd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Tooele County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The first Saturday of September is International Vulture Awareness Day which is a day to bring awareness to these birds that face a range of threats.

Late Summer Turkey Vulture And Common Sunflowers

By |2021-09-16T05:29:32-06:00September 16th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I found an adult Turkey Vulture perched on a metal pipe with a field of sunflowers below and it behind it. I liked the pop of yellow in my photos of this bird.

Turkey Vulture, An Aspen And A Smoky Haze

By |2021-07-15T04:57:59-06:00July 15th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The last bird I photographed high in the Wasatch Mountains three days ago was an adult Turkey Vulture perched in an aspen in a smoky haze.

Spring Turkey Vulture And A View From The Road

By |2021-03-28T05:13:03-06:00March 28th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I was able to photograph a spring Turkey Vulture warming up in the morning light from a rural road in Box Elder County.

Signs Of Spring – First Turkey Vulture Sighting Report

By |2021-03-12T05:49:28-07:00March 12th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday afternoon I received an email from the UBird Google group with a first of the year Turkey Vulture sighting and that got me excited. 

Adult Turkey Vultures Thermoregulating

By |2021-03-12T06:02:53-07:00May 26th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In April there was a bright, sunny morning when I had several opportunities to photograph adult Turkey Vultures warming up after a chilly night by thermoregulating.

Thermoregulating Turkey Vulture Close Up

By |2021-03-12T06:05:54-07:00April 11th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Mornings have still been fairly chilly here in northern Utah and the Turkey Vultures that recently arrived on spring migration have been taking advantage of the rising sun by thermoregulating to help chase off the chill.

Memories Of Photographing A Very Cooperative Turkey Vulture

By |2021-03-12T06:16:55-07:00March 15th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The memories of photographing this Turkey Vulture that spring morning have made me feel excited because these vultures are heading north now and soon I will have them in my viewfinder again.

Immature Turkey Vultures In Northern Utah

By |2021-03-12T06:21:18-07:00September 18th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I don't have many decent photos of immature Turkey Vultures so when I spotted several of them 11 days ago in northern Utah I was excited but my hopes for good light on the hatch year birds were dashed by clouds.

Migrating Turkey Vultures Are On The Wing

By |2021-02-14T07:21:03-07:00March 9th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I miss seeing and photographing Turkey Vultures during the winter and now I am excited that very soon I'll be seeing them roosting on fence posts, rocky outcroppings, cattle gates, trees, corrals and the ground, riding the thermals, thermoregulating and scarfing up road kill all over the place!

Autumn Turkey Vulture Portraits – Why I Held My Breath While Taking These Photos

By |2021-03-12T06:25:07-07:00October 8th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

These autumn Turkey Vulture portraits are among the most difficult images I have ever taken because I was holding my breath and retching while I took them due to the awful odor of a road-killed skunk below the bird.

Photographing Turkey Vultures On A June Morning

By |2021-03-12T06:00:13-07:00June 13th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As a bird photographer I have found that it is easy to make any species of owl look interesting and appealing in my images but it is more of a challenge to do that with Turkey Vultures but that doesn't mean I don't try. I will always try.

Turkey Vultures aka Turkey Buzzards

By |2021-03-12T07:00:20-07:00April 27th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I grew up calling Turkey Vultures by the name "Turkey Buzzards" and every once in a blue moon I still unintentionally slip and call them by their nickname instead of their proper common name.

Adult Turkey Vulture in flight close up – Almost Too close

By |2021-03-12T06:49:05-07:00April 11th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

When the third Turkey Vulture lifted off I expected it to go north like the other two vultures had but instead it flew south and very close to where I was at the side of the road in a vehicle being used as a mobile blind, almost too close.

Turkey Vulture Perched On An Orange Post – Why is that Fence Post Orange?

By |2021-03-12T07:02:08-07:00March 4th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I photographed this adult Turkey Vulture in northern Utah last year it wasn't alone, there were several other vultures roosting near it that morning on fence posts and a locked gate and I took a lot of images of all of them.

Welcome to the Carrion Cafe – Turkey Vulture & Landscape Composite

By |2021-03-12T07:15:21-07:00October 26th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago I saw a sign I hadn't seen before and it had me laughing out loud, the sign simply said "Carrion Cafe" in an area that earlier in the year may have had a Turkey Vulture hanging around or soaring overhead.

Turkey Vultures – Feathered Gatekeepers

By |2021-03-12T07:18:41-07:00May 17th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Normally I prefer natural perches for my subjects but I rather enjoyed photographing these Turkey Vultures and thinking of them as feathered gatekeepers.

Turkey Vultures at a Corral, Hillside Canada Goose and a Red-tailed Hawk Fly Over

By |2024-02-14T06:22:42-07:00April 11th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Canada Geese, Red-tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning was bright and sunny and I had fun photographing Turkey Vultures at a corral, a hillside Canada Goose and a Red-tailed Hawk flying over with nesting materials in northern Utah.

Foggy Morning Red-tailed Hawks & Turkey Vulture

By |2020-03-23T07:11:39-06:00March 27th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It wasn't "partly sunny" as predicted but I enjoyed myself while photographing the Turkey Vulture and Red-tailed Hawks on a foggy morning even though it tested my skills and techniques.

Winter Clashes With Spring – Seasonal Changes Make Bird Photography Interesting

By |2020-03-25T08:15:57-06:00March 6th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Swainson's Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Utah, Western Kingbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Winter is clashing with spring right now in northern Utah and those seasonal changes can make bird photography interesting.

Looking at 2016 in the Rear View Mirror or My Photographic Year in Review

By |2024-03-05T06:08:04-07:00December 31st, 2016|Categories: American Bitterns, American Pipits, Bald Eagles, Barn Owls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Box Elder County, Burrowing Owls, Centennial Valley, Clark County, Davis County, Double-crested Cormorants, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Horned Owls, High Uintas, Hybrid Geese, Idaho, Leucistic, Montana, Peregrine Falcons, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Red-tailed Hawks, Salt Lake County, Short-eared Owls, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Tooele County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, Wayne County, Western Bluebirds, Wilson's Phalaropes, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Wow, today is the last day of the year 2016. This is my photographic year in review from Utah, Idaho and Montana!

Go to Top