top of page

Birds of Zihuatanejo

CLASS AVES

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

-Birds (Class Aves)

-New World Vultures (Order Cathartiformes)

-New World Vultures (Family Cathartidae)

-Turkey and Yellow-headed Vultures (Genus Cathartes)

-Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)


This long-winged long-tailed vulture of the family Cathartidae has dark plumage, a whitish beak, white legs, and a bare red head (black in immature birds) that is covered with whitish bumps. The species subsists predominantly on carrion (dead and putrefying flesh), and it occurs throughout the Americas. They eat primarily mammals, although they will eat almost any dead animal they find, preferring a fresher kill to a badly decomposed carcass.They are named for their distinct red, bald heads, which look similar to that of a North American wild turkey. Their bare head lets the birds stay germ-free when they are eating a carcass; otherwise their feathers would get dirty.

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura

Diet

  • Primarily carrion, including dead mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

  • Occasionally feeds on insects and stranded marine animals.

  • Locates carcasses mainly by its highly developed sense of smell, a rare ability among birds.

Range

  • Found from southern Canada through the United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America to Tierra del Fuego.

  • Widespread throughout Mexico, including the Zihuatanejo region.

  • Inhabits deserts, tropical dry forests, grasslands, wetlands, agricultural areas, coastlines, mountains, and urban environments.

  • Northern populations migrate south in winter, while birds in Mexico are largely year-round residents.

Male / Female

  • Male: Blackish-brown plumage with a featherless red head (adults), pale bill, and two-toned wings that are dark in front and silvery underneath in flight. Slightly smaller than the female.

  • Female: Nearly identical in appearance but generally larger and heavier.

  • Sexes cannot be reliably distinguished in the field except by subtle size differences when seen together.

Size

  • Length: 64–81 cm (25–32 in)

  • Wingspan: 160–183 cm (63–72 in)

  • Weight: 0.8–2.4 kg (1.8–5.3 lb)

bottom of page