By Sally Siko

One of my favorite birds we’ve got flying around North Carolina is the Turkey Vulture.
Unfortunately not too many others out there appear to share my fondness for these wonderful creatures which is kinda sad because Turkey Vultures are freak’n awesome birds 🙂

For one thing, these guys have a an extraordinary sense of smell.
In fact, the turkey vulture has the largest olfactory system of all birds.
Studies have shown that they can detect odor particles in the air at a few parts per billion.
Their super sized smelling system serves them well as they’ve been known to be able to catch the sweet stench of carrion floating in the breeze at great distances spanning several miles.

Turkey Vultures have keen eyesight too!
They possess 4 to 5 types of single cone photoreceptors, complete with sensitivity to UV light (greater than humans who have 3 cones and lack the UV sensitivity).
This means that they may be able to spot a carcass from up to four miles away when soaring over open ground.

Another interesting thing about these lovely birds is that they are highly intelligent and sociable animals.
Turkey Vultures who are raised in captivity bond strongly with their caretakers. They have the ability to recognize people and will seek out attention from those that they trust.
These guys are super playful too, requiring a wide variety of toys and other challenging activities to keep their minds occupied less they give into more mischievous behaviors.
Not so different from many of us out there lol!

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds