I would not necessarily call this Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) handsome, but I am happy with the way that I was able to capture a bit of the bird’s personality in this close-up portrait shot. I spotted this vulture last week as it perched low in a tree just off the edge of a trail that I was following at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Some people are freaked out by the fact that vultures eat carrion, but most people acknowledge that these scavengers play a valuable role in our ecosystems. I am ok with a turkey vulture’s dietary choices, though I would probably refuse to join a turkey vulture in a meal if one of them made such an offer.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
LOL! I definitely wouldn’t join him, but we did used to feed them in wildlife rehab. Fresh meat, though. No road kill!
I am pretty sure that the vultures welcomed the fresh meat, even if it did not “smell” as good.
Nice Mike! Great Vulture portrait!
Funny, Mike, though I’m with you, don’t think I’d care to join them for supper. 😂 I love watching them sunbath!
Blue Rock Horses Frederick County, Virginia bluerockhorses.com
Very nice portrait!
We all too often overlook what some would consider the “unglamorous” birds. Nature considers them all beautiful. So do I.
Seems they are everywhere. I try to be thankful they are cleaning up!