A Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) will never look as fierce as a hawk or an eagle and I am pretty sure that “Eye of the Vulture” won’t ever be a featured song in a Rocky movie, but there is still something disconcerting when a vulture circles close overhead, staring down in your direction.
In most of my previous shots of a Turkey Vulture, the eyes have not been visible, but on a recent sunny day, the light was good enough and the vulture came close enough for me to see the eyes, which look a little creepy. Click on the photo to see a higher resolution view of this big bird, with an impressive wingspan.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
Congratulations. Wonderful capture!
Thanks, Victor. I was fortunate that the light cooperated (so many times when I try to shoot birds in flight the bird ends up mostly as a shadow).
What a shot!
Thanks. It was nice to have a sunny day with lots of light, which has been kind of rare this winter.
Was there snow on the ground? M
Yes. There was snow on the ground and the vulture had taken off from a snowy field just before I took the photo.
Great in-flight photo, Mike!!
Thanks. It helped that this bird was soaring, so his speed seemed slower and a bit easier to capture.
By my memory, that’s by far the nicest vulture shot you’ve got yet. That wing span is impressive.
Thanks, Lyle. It certainly is the best in-flight shot that I’ve taken of a vulture–I took some shots of a black vulture in a tree that were pretty detailed, as I recall.
Reblogged this on Ann Novek–With the Sky as the Ceiling and the Heart Outdoors.
Well done, Mike! What shutter speed did you use?
Thanks, Walter. This one was shot at 1/640 second at f6.3 and ISO 250.
However disconcerting the eye may look to us, it’s perfectly suited for spotting things from great heights. And apart from that, what grace they have in flight. Many a time I have thought that, if I were a bird, I would gladly accept the lack of physical attractiveness to gain the ability to soar as they are able. As things are, however, I have only the former and none of the latter.
There is no denying that these birds have amazing capabilities to soar and to detect “prey” from a great distance, though I seem to recall reading that they depend more on their sense of smell than their sight to do so. I guess that, like many folks, I still get a little queasy knowing that they feed only on things that are already dead. (Of course, I too eat only things that are already dead).
That is quite a shot! It’s amazing how detailed the underside is-probably by light reflected off the snow, although it looks like some was also coming in from the side.
Maybe you just need to move around more so they don’t think you’re a potential meal!
There was quite a bit of light (and there was snow on the ground to reflect up onto the bird). I suspect that it is paranoia when the vulture seems to be circling around me (but I do try to move around just in case).
That’s a great shot, when I see them they are usually too far away, souds sick but one day I hope to get a pic of them feeding..:-)
What a beauty–all feathers intact!