Lake County bird watchers had a golden opportunity to view a wide array of local birds Saturday during the bird hike at the Clear Lake State Park. The hike was hosted by Brad and Kathy Barnwell, two of the most experienced bird watchers in the county. More than 40 species of birds were observed and one of the most interesting was the turkey vulture. There were several vultures observed resting in the trees and soaring overhead.
The turkey vulture is often called a buzzard. Its scientific name is carhartes aura and it is actually a member of the stork family. They are large birds with a wing span of up to 6 feet. They weigh up to 8 pounds. Their diet is strictly meat and the older the better. In fact, 80 percent of their diet is carrion. Turkey vultures can be found throughout the United States and they are especially common in California. In Lake County it is estimated there are 1,000 vultures. On any given day vultures can be seen soaring over roof tops and trees. They can stay up for hours, riding the air currents and the wind. These creatures of the skies are actually on patrol, looking for carcasses of dead animals.
Turkey vultures are one of a handful of birds that can actually smell. They have an excellent sense of smell and can detect a dead animal from hundreds of feet in the air. They can even locate dead animals that are hidden under a canopy of trees. Normally when an animal dies it begins to emit a gas odor within a few hours. The vulture can detect that odor and home in on the dead creature. Their nostrils are extremely wide and open from one side of the bill straight across to the other side. In addition to their sense of smell they have excellent eyes, which also aids them in finding food. Vultures feed on just about any dead carcass, even those that have begun to rot. The bare, featherless head is especially designed to feed in the cavities of large dead animals. They have short and weak legs and small talons, which restrict them from carrying off food. They are physically incapable of killing anything.
Turkey vultures have few enemies. When threatened they will regurgitate the contents of their stomach, a disgusting habit that’s very effective in frightening away attackers. Even the chicks have this ability. They lay their eggs in a cave or on a rocky ledge and are considered poor nest builders. In four weeks the eggs hatch and the young are born snow white. They turn black after a few weeks.
While many people wouldn’t want a buzzard near their backyard bird feeder, they are an important part of the ecosystem. They clean up road-kill animals and are the undertakers of the forest. A flock of buzzards can completely clean up a deer carcass within an hour, leaving only the bones and a little bit of the hide. They are also often seen feeding on road-kill squirrels, skunks, raccoons and possums. At Clear Lake they can often be seen feeding on dead carp and other large fish that have washed ashore.
Vultures often sit and spread their wings in one spot for hours to sunbathe. In fact, during Saturday’s bird hike we saw several vultures sitting in trees with their wings spread out. The sun helps vultures keep their feathers healthy by causing parasites to converge in areas where birds can more easily get rid of them. On especially chilly days, sunbathing can also help warm them up.
Vultures are protected by law and cannot be killed or injured. Actually, since they cause no threat to anything it would be foolish to harm one. They are a bird that has truly found a niche in the wild.
