No, I’m not dead and I am far from ready to have my bones picked over by these guys. Nevertheless, this particular turkey vulture seemed to anxious to have me as a meal as it circled overhead multiple times. 😉
Taken a couple months ago at North Sterling State Park, Colorado, there were a lot of these cool birds hanging out, taking advantage of dead carp on the shoreline.
You will often spot them soaring high in the sky in large groups – appropriately called a ‘wake’ – looking for their next meal. They feed on carrion they find lying around dead like rabbits, prairie dogs and such and are believed to be able to smell the dead animals up to a mile away.
Their role of garbage man helps to prevent the spread of disease from the carcasses. They may be ugly but they perform as critical function in the #ecosystem.