ML616757500

Age and sex

Adult, Unknown sex - 1

Behaviors

Flying

Observation details

Approaching sunset; I spotted a large number of turkey vultures gliding in large circles in sky. Within the observation period, I counted 32 turkey vultures roosting in trees, 18 flying in area, 3 on ground in field. I've never seen such a large number of turkey vultures before! Species was determined by comparing the birds to eBird reference photos (red heads and whitish beaks, and light colored feathers on tail and the length of the wings were diagnostic). Past experience photographing both turkey and black vultures, as well as reference photos, led to identification as turkey vultures. One other piece of evidence was the sunset. As the sunset progressed, the whitish feathers in the vulture’s wing took on a golden appearance, something unlikely in the dark wing feathers on a black vulture. The sighting was spectacular, a sky full of turkey vultures slowing spinning down to a roost, their wings highlighted in black and gold. Some of the roosted vultures might have been black vultures, but at the distance of the trees and birds rendered as silhouettes, such identifications could not be reliably confirmed.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS R7

Lens

RF800mm F11 IS STM

ISO

12800

Focal length

800 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/11.0

Shutter speed

1/3200 sec

Dimensions

2287 pixels x 1524 pixels

Original file size

2.72 MB