The Turkey Vulture feeds primarily on a wide variety of carrion, from small mammals to large grazers, preferring those recently dead, and avoiding carcasses that have reached the point of putrefaction. The Turkey Vulture can often be seen along roadsides feeding on roadkill. Like other vultures, it plays an important role in the ecosystem by disposing of carrion which would otherwise be a breeding ground for disease.
The Turkey Vulture forages by smell, an ability that is uncommon in the avian world. It often will fly low to the ground to pick up the scent of a gas produced by the beginnings of decay in dead animals.
The juvenile has a gray head which eventually turns red in the adult as seen below:
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| Turkey Vulture Adult on left, Juvenile on right. Photo Taken on Apache Trail, AZ |
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