BIRD WALK – VULTURES (Turkey and Black) 
Saturday, August 9 
7:00 to 10:00 am   FREE

Meet at the Welcome Center parking lot. Join local birders to gather long-term data on the presence of birds, their abundance, and changes in populations. Appropriate for birders of all skill levels, the walks run along uneven terrain on forest and meadow trails and around the main house. No registration required. Questions? Contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7960 or click to email.

BIRD NOTE: DID YOU KNOW?

These large, black birds have featherless heads which only a parent could love! Why no feathers? It’s all about cleanliness. They eat by thrusting their heads inside rotting, dead animals, ‘cleaning up’ carrion before it rots and causes disease. Their sense of smell is highly developed, but they do not have the ability to rip and tear open a fresh carcass.

The red-headed Turkey Vultures soar with their wings in a slight V shape, barely flapping. The dark forward underwing linings contrast with the gray trailing flight feathers. They roost together at night and fly and hunt together during the day.

Their cousin, the Black Vulture, is smaller with a black, featherless head. From underneath, white patches at the wing tips of black wings are diagnostic. Turkey Vultures are relatively new arrivals in VT, within the last 15 years. Black Vultures are even more recent.