“WARTS & ALL”: THE TURKEY VULTURE IN ALL HIS GLORY
This wonderful picture taken by Irish photographer Craig Nash appears on page 215 of “The Birds of Abaco”. It was awarded a full page to itself, and a few people have asked about this authorial / editorial decision. The simple answer is that the book is full of lovely pictures of gorgeous birds. Too much perfection can become tedious, and an occasional corrective is called for. The Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura is often described in detail, but only a really good close-up will reveal a bird that only its mother could love unconditionally.
The text for the book is as follows: “Graceful in flight as they wheel overhead singly or in large groups catching the thermals, these large raptors are rather less attractive at close quarters. The head and neck are completely hairless. They lack a syrinx (the avian equivalent of a larynx) and can only grunt and hiss.These vultures are carrion feeders, with a sense of smell so keen that they can detect rotting flesh from afar.They usefully help to clear up road-kill on the Abaco Highway. Their defence mechanism – and what a good one – is to vomit foul-smelling semi-digested putrified meat onto a perceived threat”.
Double-click on the image and you will be able to count the hairs on his chin. Go on. Nothing to lose. You can find out plenty more about these fine birds and their somewhat revolting habits including 10 Essential Facts, what they sound like, the statistical percentage photographed from below, and a free yet horrible Metallica song at ‘CARRION SCAVENGING’: TURKEY VULTURES ON ABACO
ROLLING HARBOUR ABACO 
wonderful photo, but not a bird I would like to get up close and personal with!
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I agree – their personal hygiene and unusual habits leave something to be desired in polite society. Watch them in flight on thermals, though, and they are wonderfully balletic! And you can’t see those warty bits at all… RH
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you know I love this kind of discussion because I wonder how we form our tastes for nice and not nice … all too arbitrary usually, except for the inbuilt horror some people have for deadly things like snakes or spiders, I am sure that is genetic … I am perfectly willing to admire your balletic bird on the thermals, or maybe even up close 🙂
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Mmmmmm. I think nurture has a lot to do with it too! So parents (and others) help form (or reinforce) out tastes for nice and not nice. RH
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I’m sure it’s Mother loves it – but it is such an ugly bird!
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I believe these days you should be saying ‘beauty-deprived’ or ‘glamour-challenged’. Otherwise it sounds quite rude… To be honest, their grace in flight belies their more – er – homely features.
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I apologise for being so insensitive and politically incorrect.
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FAB Foto!!!
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I love it – had no hesitation in using it in the book. Good to have some comparisons! RH
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I love this photo! So bold! Thanks to you, RH, and Craig too.
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Well thank you, Jet! We did debate the pros and cons of inclusion, but quite honestly it’s a brilliant photo, and not every bird has the misfortune to be… um… quite so plain at close quarters! So I went for broke with a full-page close-up! RH
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Gross but fab detail
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If one ever wanted a good shot of a syrinx, this is it! I like to think people get a slight jolt when they turn to p 215 after many pages of gorgeous birds… RH
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I have a shot with an old camera of one sitting in the carcas of a dead sheep – ugly shot but one I will always remember as I had to roll a Landover with the engine switched off down a hill to get close enough to capture it.
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It’s good to have a store of ‘special shots’, the ones that were hard to win – even if involving a carcass… RH
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