Turkey Vulture - Snoopy - Photo of the Day - October 7th, 2011

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"Turkey Vulture - Snoopy"

The turkey vulture is a large raptor, nearly as large as and eagle. Males and females are almost identical in appearance. The small head is completely bare, in sharp contrast to the brownish-black feathers covering the rest of the body, except for the legs. Their beaks are sharp and pointed for tearing meat and their talons are designed for gripping rather than killing.

This raptor rocks or teeters in flight like a tightrope walker with arms extended for balance. They rarely flap their wings as they prefer to soar. The trailing edge of their wings is silver, contrasting sharply with their black underparts when seen from below.

Photographed at the Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale, Alberta, Canada.

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