Casting a pellet can be hard work, especially for large birds like vultures.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Five days ago I spent some quality time with this Turkey Vulture in the west desert. I actually like the rustic setting, even with all the barbed wire (devil wire). The weathered wooden posts and rail are ancient but still sturdy and I think the vulture is framed just about perfectly between the two posts as ‘he’ stretches his wings.
My imagination is active enough to appreciate the shadow of his wing on the post in front of him, which to me resembles the open-beaked head of another bird looking back at him. Complete with eye.
I spent quite a while with this bird and almost from the beginning he was retching in an attempt to regurgitate a pellet. I’ve photographed many birds throwing pellets but never a vulture so I was sure hoping to get lucky this time. The pellet never came but it certainly wasn’t for lack of trying by the vulture. More about that in a minute.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Near the end of his stretch he put his head down and his tail up and began to retch again. In those first gagging photos his head was in shade but…
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
eventually I had light on his face as he turned his body slightly. I took lots of photos in hopes of catching the pellet coming out, but it didn’t happen.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Then he jumped/flew up onto the post in front of him. For a moment, in-between bouts of gagging, he actually looked handsome. For a vulture at least.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Some birds, especially some raptors, will scratch upward on their neck with their feet in an attempt to facilitate the forward movement of the pellet in their throat. When this guy did that he was almost in silhouette but we can still clearly see what he was trying to do.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Here his right foot is still raised after attempting to ‘scratch out’ the pellet. He continued to retch, to no effect. In some of my photos he was retching so forcefully he had his nictitating membrane closed.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Eventually he gave up and took off. I wish my takeoff shot was a little sharper, but I think it’s sharp enough.
Cornell’s Birds of the World has this to say about Turkey Vulture pellets:
“Pellets less likely to contain bones than those of hawks and owls; tend to underrepresent large carrion items”
I presume that’s because vultures mostly eat easily digestible soft tissue. Putrefying soft tissue. Yum.
Ron
That vulture reminded me of myself after I watch C-span last time.
Nice series, Ron. Pelleting always looks so painful to me. Whole body retching stuff.
Thanks, April. And then there’s the little birds that often do it so quickly and easily it’s over before you know it.
As someone who battles nausea a LOT of the time my sympathies are with him. I hope that he was able to evict it. And that soon after you saw him.
EC, I sure wish you didn’t have to deal that stuff that you deal with, daily.
Getting pellets out always look a bit rough for any bird. I’ve more often seen vultures throw up what was just eaten rather than a pellet. Thar is when they need to get away quickly.That serves two purposes: It lightens the load and it may help repulse a predator. From experience. at Cascades Raptor Center I can tell you that what comes up is worse than what just went down.
Pellets of vultures usually contain less bone because the pH of the stomach is extremely acid which dissolves the bone. Owls have a far less acidic stomach than most raptors and thus, have bones intact.
“Pellets of vultures usually contain less bone because the pH of the stomach is extremely acid which dissolves the bone.”
I’m sure that’s true, Dan.
But I have a related question. Do you think vultures (in the wild of course) eat as much bone as hawks do?
I suspect that in the wild more soft matter is eaten. Large carrion, like deer, is often eaten and they certainly are not eating those bones. But they take what they can find so smaller dead animals are also eaten and some bones may then be eaten. It’s likely easier to just swallow a dead vole whole than to try to pull it apart.
Makes sense. Thanks, Dan.
Excellent series Ron! Love Photo 2 – find that pose very interesting!
Good. Thank you, Kathleen.
You’ve captured American Airlines and the USPS logos in the first two shots — impressive! 😉 I really hope that he gets that pellet out soon as I can imagine how uncomfortable the whole expulsion operation must be.
He is quite the handsome bird with that deep red head and those chocolatey feathers. Of course, I think vultures and condors are handsome birds in and of themselves. Looks like P7 (I hope I’ve numbered that right) is coming in on each wing. Does that help with aging the bird?
“Does that help with aging the bird?”
It might, Marty. But if it does, I’m not smart enough to do it.
I don’t think this feather pattern helps much with aging the bird. Most of what we know of molt in Turkey Vultures comes from captive birds. It appears that molt of the flight feathers is a continuous process. A complete molt of these feathers may take up to a year to complete. I’m unaware of any way to age these birds except that juveniles lack the red head for their first few months.
Thanks for that info, Dan.
Thank you, Dan! I always appreciate your expertise! I’ve leaned so much from you and Ron! 💜💜💜
Wow! I know you don’t usually like man-made structures in your photos, Ron, but this fence was an especially good “set” this time. Love the shadow bird. Photo #5 is science fiction creepy… And #6 gives you a great idea of why it’s named TURKEY vulture. Great captures. Thanks.
Glad you like the setting, Ellen. Growing up on a farm made me appreciate scenes like that.
Very cool photos. Thanks for pointing out the shadow head. I hope he was able to cast the pellet eventually. Sure looks uncomfortable! His feet are especially lizard-like. Even with his “ugliness”, he’s a very handsome creature. (a strange description of the pellet – “tend to underrepresent…”)
Carolyn, for larger birds, casting pellets often looks uncomfortable. At a minimum. But sometimes it comes out slick as a whistle.
Glad I haven’t had breakfast yet! 😉 #3 I wouldn’t have known what he was doing if……..#6 another story even if a WOW photo. #5 is a handsome bird for a vulture. 🙂
Wind and rain this morning – been/will be that way off and on the next week or so – of course, haying is underway….
Really liked WC’s rerun post yesterday……..
I hoped I wouldn’t ruin anyone’s breakfast, Judy.
And of course haying is underway. It’s always something…
I like your imagination.
There are some mornings…well I know how that fellow feels.
“I know how that fellow feels.”
I think I do too, Michael.
Photo #4— I didn’t think a vulture could look so handsome–“He’s
in fine feather”, I was thinking, just as I read your comment to the
same effect……do you think he is fairly young ?
“do you think he is fairly young ?”
Not that I can tell, Kris. Juveniles have gray heads and a black-tipped bill but only until about November of their first year. This could be a fairly young adult.