1\/2500, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nI photographed this bird six days ago in a remote area near Promontory Point\u00a0in Box Elder County.\u00a0\u00a0 I like the shot for its detail and the good look at the head and eye.\u00a0 I often photograph these birds in flight but seldom get this much detail with good light on the face.<\/p>\n
Turkey Vultures are often described as having small heads but that’s largely an illusion caused by the fact that the head is devoid of feathers.\u00a0 And then there’s that black ring around the eye\u00a0which I’ve been\u00a0intrigued about for some time.\u00a0 Many sources describe a semicircular pattern of papillae (warts)\u00a0around the eye that may be bacterial skin infections resulting from\u00a0continual exposure to rotting meat.\u00a0 But those papillae are invariably described as being “whitish or greenish” and the ones I see tend to be very dark, almost black like in this bird.\u00a0 Curious…<\/p>\n
This was one of the first Turkey Vultures I’d seen since their return this spring.\u00a0 Interestingly, our knowledge of migratory patterns of this species is limited because the US Fish and Wildlife service revoked banding permits for Turkey and Black Vultures\u00a0in 1977 because their habit of urohydrosis (defecating onto the scaly portions of the legs as a cooling mechanism) causes the excreta to plaster the band to the leg and\u00a0results in\u00a0foot and leg lesions and other deformities.<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In some circles the Turkey Vulture isn’t the most popular kid on the block but to me they’re as deserving of our respect and admiration as any other native bird.<\/p>\n
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![\"turkey](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/turkey-vulture-2262-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n