Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
The turkey vulture is the most widespread of the New World vultures. One of three species in the genus Cathartes of the family Cathartidae, the turkey vulture ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America. It inhabits a variety of open and semi-open areas, including subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and deserts. Source
Where it is now
In the last 8 weeks this bird was recorded 345 times across 32 areas (each area is a 5 degree square).
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Movement and weather
Over the weeks it was present in the past year, its centre in North America ranged from 13°N in February to 47°N in July, about 3,800 km apart.
Arrival dates
The week it was first heard regularly in each region, after at least six weeks away. Dates differ from south to north, so a region has a range.
| Region | First arrival | Last arrival | Typical peak | Areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 23 February 2026 | 23 February 2026 | 23 February 2026 | 1 |
Figures are effort corrected and come from automatic sound identification, which makes mistakes. How this is measured and how it compares with human observers.