Turkey Vulture

Turkey Vulture perched on a tree branch overhead.
Turkey Vulture, Cleburne State Park, Cleburne, TX, December 28, 2021
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-640; f/6.3; 1/1000 sec.

This page is for the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura). This species is very common and distinguishable from the Black Vulture by it red head and greater percentage of white on the underside of the wings. As I mentioned with the Black Vulture, they are not the most attractive bird, but graceful in their own right. The May 5, 2012 photo is my first photographic evidence of this bird. The best photograph I have taken of the Turkey Vulture to date (above) was from December 28, 2021 at the Cleburne State Park, Cleburne, TX. There were a couple of them perched directly above us in a tree as we were walking back to my truck. To me, this Turkey Vulture just looks majestic from this viewpoint.

The following photographs are the best representative images from different dates and locations than my species representative example.

Turkey Vulture soaring high above a rock outcrop.
Turkey Vulture, Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Canyon, TX, May 5, 2012
Sony DSC-H3; 33 mm; ISO-125; f/9; 1/200 sec.
Turkey Vulture soaring high overhead.
Turkey Vulture, Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park, Dawson Springs, KY, March 28, 2015
Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon 18-135 mm lens; 135 mm; ISO-100; f/9; 1/500 sec.
Turkey Vulture soaring high overhead.
Turkey Vulture, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Austwell, TX, March 25, 2021
Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon 18-135 mm lens; 135 mm; ISO-100; f/9; 1/500 sec.
Turkey Vulture soaring high overhead with a few clouds..
Turkey Vulture, Fort Worth Nature Preserve Marsh Boardwalk, Fort Worth, TX, August 1, 2021
Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 273 mm; ISO-100; f/8; 1/500 sec.
Turkey Vulture on the ground near the edge of a park road.
Turkey Vulture, Mineral Wells State Park, Mineral Wells, TX, September 5, 2021
Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 120 mm; ISO-100; f/5.6; 1/160 sec.
Two Turkey Vultures soaring high overhead.
Turkey Vulture, Fort Worth Nature Preserve Marsh Boardwalk, Fort Worth, TX, November 13, 2021
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-2000; f/14; 1/8000 sec.
Turkey Vulture soaring high overhead.
Turkey Vulture, Fort Worth Nature Preserve Cross Timbers Trail footbridge, Fort Worth, TX, November 20, 2021
Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon 18-135 mm lens; 135 mm; ISO-160; f/5.6; 1/1600 sec.
Turkey Vulture soaring overhead.
Turkey Vulture, North Holiday Park, Benbrook, TX, December 26, 2021
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-400; f/6.3; 1/2000 sec.
Turkey Vulture soaring overhead.
Turkey Vulture, Fort Worth Nature Preserve Cross Timbers Trail footbridge, Fort Worth, TX, January 2, 2022
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-500; f/6.3; 1/2500 sec.
Turkey Vulture perched in a tree with the sun at its back.
Turkey Vulture, Village Creek, Arlington, TX, January 17, 2022
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-200; f/6.3; 1/200 sec.
Turkey Vulture standing in a dead tree with wings outstretch absorbing sunlight on a cold morning.
Turkey Vulture, Cleburne State Park, Cleburne, TX, January 29, 2022
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 150 mm; ISO-400; f/5.6; 1/3200 sec.
Turkey Vulture soaring overhead.
Turkey Vulture, Fort Worth Nature Preserve Dead End Trail, Fort Worth, TX, February 6, 2022
 Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-500; f/7.1; 1/3200 sec.
Two Turkey Vultures and one Black Vulture at some sort of road kill. One Turkey Vulture has walked away a bit while the other is staring closely at the road kill. The Black Vulture is actually standing on the road kill and looking at the camera.
Turkey Vulture, North Holiday Park, Benbrook, TX, May 21, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-1600; f/10; 1/1000 sec.
Turkey Vulture coming in for a landing in some tall grass near a tree line.
Turkey Vulture, North Holiday Park, Benbrook, TX, May 28, 2022
EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-5000; f/11; 1/2000 sec.
Turkey Vulture perched at the top of a utility pole.
Turkey Vulture, North Holiday Park, Benbrook, TX, September 4, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-400; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Turkey Vulture perched near the top of a dead tree.
Turkey Vulture, Tishomingo NWR, Tishomingo, OK, September 13, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-250; f/10; 1/500 sec.
Very large flock of over 100 Turkey Vultures circling in the distance
Turkey Vulture, North Holiday Park, Benbrook, TX, October 15, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-400; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Turkey Vulture soaring at eye-level.
Turkey Vulture, North Holiday Park, Benbrook, TX, January 2, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-4000; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Three Turkey Vultures sitting in the grass.
Turkey Vulture, North Holiday Park, Benbrook, TX, January 2, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-400; f/11; 1/500 sec.
Turkey Vulture in a field near some woods with its wings spread out above its body getting some sun.
Turkey Vulture, North Holiday Park, Benbrook, TX, February 11, 2023
EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-4000; f/10; 1/1250 sec.
Turkey Vulture soaring high overhead.
Turkey Vulture, Fort Worth Nature Preserve, Fort Worth, TX, March 4, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-250; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Turkey Vulture perched in a tree while surveying the area.
Turkey Vulture, Mustang Park Benbrook, TX, March 10, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-800; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Turkey Vulture perched on a tall wooded post. It is looking over its left shoulder.
Turkey Vulture, North Holiday Park, Benbrook, TX, March 26, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 2.0x Teleconverter; 1000 mm; ISO-500; f/16; 1/400 sec.
Turkey Vulture soaring high overhead.
Turkey Vulture, Bill Jarvis Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Chicago, IL April 12, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-400; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Two Turkey Vultures on top of what appears to be an old deer stand.
Turkey Vulture, Warbler Woods Bird Sanctuary, Cibolo, TX May 11, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-200; f/11; 1/800 sec.
Turkey Vulture walking on the ground near a creek.
Turkey Vulture, San Joaquin Marsh, Irvine, CA, June 18, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-12,800; f/10; 1/1600 sec.
Turkey Vulture soaring high overhead.
Turkey Vulture, Ocala NF, Paisley, FL December 3, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700mm; ISO-250; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Two Turkey Vultures standing next to a dead coyote.
Turkey Vulture, Mustang Island, Port Aransas, TX, February 22, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens; 700 mm; ISO-1000; f/11; 1/1000 sec. +1 Exposure Bias
Turkey Vulture watching the water while perched on a downed tree limb.
Turkey Vulture, Port Aransas, TX, February 23, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens; 700 mm; ISO-1000; f/11; 1/1000 sec.
Turkey Vulture soaring high overhead.
Turkey Vulture, Port Aransas, TX, February 23, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens; 700 mm; ISO-400; f/11; 1/1000 sec.
Turkey Vulture perched on an old wooden post and looking away from the camera.
Turkey Vulture, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Austwell, TX, February 24, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens; 700 mm; ISO-1250; f/11; 1/2000 sec.