Positioned a small road kill (possum) in an area and waited a few days...sure enough, a Turkey Vulture discovered it and came down. Only posting the first 2 (of 5) shots showing the Vulture perched in a tree...wasn't sure about possible forum policy showing any further...though natural & actually not 'graphic'...scavenger / prey interaction between the Vulture and the road kill. ( Won't win any beauty contests but they're actually a beneficial link in Nature's food chain ) Canon FDn 400/4.5, NEX-7 {} {}
Your images offer a favored perspective than usually associated with them. I've never noticed the ivory whiteness of their beak. Thanks for showing the side of their beauty in your images. The heads of these big wing-spanned birds have had a repulsive effect until I read further about them. They don't hunt or kill their food. They have excellent eyesight and a keen sense of smell that helps locate rotting meat. Their bald head helps keep dead meat, along with the bacteria it carries, from collecting in the vulture's feathers while it is digging into an animal carcass. Valued in its ecosystem, removing dead animals that could be carrying diseases. Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura | Wildlife Journal Junior
