The turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) is a large bird of prey that is found throughout much of the Americas. It is one of the most widespread raptors in the Western Hemisphere and is easily identified by its bare red head and black plumage. Turkey vultures are scavengers and play an important role in the ecosystem by helping to clean up carrion. But what are the turkey vulture’s closest relatives? Let’s take a closer look at the turkey vulture’s taxonomy to find out.
Taxonomy of the Turkey Vulture
The turkey vulture belongs to the taxonomic order Cathartiformes, which contains just two extant families:
Family | Common Name |
---|---|
Cathartidae | New World Vultures |
Ciconiidae | Old World Vultures |
As this table shows, the turkey vulture belongs to the family Cathartidae, which consists of seven species of New World vultures found in North, Central, and South America. The other family in the order, Ciconiidae, contains around 11 species of Old World vultures found in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
So while the turkey vulture shares the order Cathartiformes with Old World vultures like the bearded vulture and griffon vulture, it is more closely related to the other New World vultures in the family Cathartidae. Let’s take a closer look at these relatives.
New World Vultures – Close Relatives of the Turkey Vulture
There are six living species that make up the family Cathartidae along with the turkey vulture:
Common Name | Scientific Name |
---|---|
Black vulture | Coragyps atratus |
King vulture | Sarcoramphus papa |
California condor | Gymnogyps californianus |
Andean condor | Vultur gryphus |
Greater yellow-headed vulture | Cathartes melambrotus |
Lesser yellow-headed vulture | Cathartes burrovianus |
All of these species share a number of characteristics that set them apart from the Old World vultures and indicate their close evolutionary relationship. Let’s look at some of these shared traits.
Shared Characteristics of New World Vultures
- Only found in the Americas
- Relatively large size – wingspans over 6 feet
- Dark plumage, often black or gray
- Mostly bare heads without feathers
- Not closely related to hawks or eagles despite similarities
- Feed exclusively on carrion
- Have excellent sense of smell to locate carcasses
- Relative lack of vocalizations compared to other birds of prey
The turkey vulture shares all of these characteristics with its close relatives in the New World vulture family. Their geographic range, anatomical features, and feeding behaviors clearly set them apart from other birds of prey and indicate that they all descended from a common ancestor sometime during their evolution.
Now let’s take a closer look at each of the turkey vulture’s living New World vulture relatives.
The Black Vulture
The black vulture (Coragyps atratus) is the turkey vulture’s closest relative and looks quite similar in appearance. The black vulture is slightly smaller than the turkey vulture, with adult birds reaching 24-26 inches in length and 4-5 pounds in weight compared to the turkey vulture’s 25-32 inches and 4-5 pounds.
Distinctive Features of the Black Vulture
- Entire body covered in black feathers, giving them a darker look than turkey vultures.
- White wing tips visible in flight.
- Gray head that lacks the red coloration of turkey vultures.
- Short, dusky gray legs compared to pale legs of turkey vultures.
- Smaller and less protruding beak than turkey vultures.
Despite these subtle differences, the two species occupy a very similar ecological niche as scavengers that feed on carrion. Their geographic ranges also overlap significantly, with black vultures found throughout the southern United States, Central America, and most parts of South America.
Researchers believe the two species likely diverged from a common ancestor between 1 to 3 million years ago based on their close evolutionary relationship. Where turkey vultures once had the scavenger niche mostly to themselves, they now share it with the widespread black vulture throughout much of the Americas.
Behavioral Differences from Turkey Vultures
Despite their similarities, there are some key differences in the behavior of black vultures:
- Black vultures cannot detect carcasses solely by scent like turkey vultures. They often follow turkey vultures to carcasses.
- Black vultures are more social and form larger foraging groups.
- They are more aggressive at carcasses and will sometimes displace turkey vultures.
- Black vultures roost communally in large groups while turkey vultures usually roost alone or in pairs.
So while the two species occupy very similar niches, the black vulture appears more adapted to group living and depends more on visual cues to find food. But overall, the black and turkey vulture are clearly each other’s closest living relative.
The King Vulture
Unlike the black vulture which could easily be confused with its relative the turkey vulture, the king vulture (Sarcoramphus papa) has a very distinctive appearance. The king vulture is the most colorful and ornately decorated of the New World vultures:
- Brightly colored orange, yellow, and blue head
- Large white wing patches visible in flight
- Dark gray to black body plumage
- Red fleshy caruncle on beak
- Distinctive bright rainbow pattern of feathers when wings spread
The king vulture’s unique palette seems almost out of place among its darker-plumed relatives. But scientists believe these bright colors may serve social signaling functions within their group foraging behavior. King vultures also utilize a specialized beak for tearing into tough hides which further sets them apart from other New World vultures that use their beaks less for feeding.
King Vulture: Range and Behavior
King vultures have a more limited range than turkey or black vultures, found primarily in Central America, northern South America, and the Amazon basin.
Behaviorally, they are distinct from turkey vultures in several ways:
- Lives in smaller groups and breeds in caves
- Less soaring, more flapping in flight
- More limited ability to find carrion by scent
- Dependent on other vulture species to find carcasses
- Specialized beak for tearing tough hides
The king vulture’s smaller population and more limited range means it diverged from the ancestral New World vulture lineage earlier than some of its more widespread relatives. But its shared characteristics clearly identify it as part of the overall vulture family.
The California Condor
The California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is the largest North American land bird, with huge adult birds reaching over 9 pounds and boasting a massive wingspan of up to 10 feet. Like its relative the turkey vulture, the condor is a scavenger that feeds exclusively on carrion. But it is highly endangered today due to habitat loss, poisoning, and other factors. By 1982, only 22 condors remained in the wild before conservation efforts began to help recover their populations through captive breeding programs.
Identifying Features of the California Condor
The California condor shares the basic black plumage of the turkey vulture and other Cathartid relatives, but can be differentiated by:
- Much larger overall size
- White underwing pattern shaped like triangles
- Large pink head and neck
- Huge thick beak adapted for tearing carrion
In flight, the California condor is an impressive sight due to its huge wing area that allows it to soar efficiently to find carrion. A large adults with wings spread can span over 9 feet!
California Condor: Range and Diet
Historically, the California condor occupied a large range in western North America from British Columbia to Mexico. But due to its threatened status, it now only occurs in very limited regions of California, Arizona, Utah and Mexico. A reintroduced population also now exists in Baja California.
Like the turkey vulture, the condor locates carrion using its keen sense of smell. Its diet includes large animal carcasses like deer, cattle, rabbits and even dead whales that wash up on the shore. The condor’s huge beak helps it easily tear into these carcasses.
Sadly, lead poisoning and habitat destruction led to this majestic bird’s populations declining to just 22 individuals in 1982. But ongoing conservation efforts have helped bring its numbers back up to around 500 birds today, about half of which occur in the wild.
The Andean Condor
Shared Characteristics with the Turkey Vulture:
- Black plumage with white wing patches visible in flight
- Bare skin head that is red, yellow, or orange
- Primarily a scavenger that feeds on carrion
- Soars on air currents to locate food
The Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) is found in the Andes mountains and adjacent Pacific coastal regions of South America. It is one of the world’s largest flying birds, with a huge wingspan of 10-11 feet.
Key Features of the Andean Condor
- One of the world’s heaviest flying birds, up to 33 lbs
- Black plumage with white wing patches
- Bare yellow, red or orange head
- Large neck ruff when breeding
- Huge 3 foot long wingspan
The Andean condor is well adapted for soaring high in the mountains and coasts of western South America. Its broad wings allow it to effectively ride air currents with little effort. Like other New World vultures, it has excellent eyesight and can spot carcasses from high above.
Andean Condor: Range and Conservation
Historically, the Andean condor occurred all along the Andes mountains from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America. Today, populations are fragmented in many regions but are still found throughout much of this range. Some conservation concerns exist due to habitat loss and poisoning. But populations now stabilize at several thousand individuals.
It serves as an important part of the ecosystem by scavenging carrion left by hunts or animals that die naturally in the harsh mountain environments. Efforts to reduce poisoning and preserve the condor’s habitat will be key to its long-term survival.
Lesser & Greater Yellow-headed Vultures
The greater yellow-headed vulture (Cathartes melambrotus) and lesser yellow-headed vulture (C. burrovianus) are very closely related, smaller New World vultures found from Mexico south to Argentina. They can be differentiated from the turkey vulture by their distinctly colored heads:
- Yellow, orange or pinkish heads
- Dark gray to black bodies
- Broad wings adapted for soaring
- Feed mostly on carrion
The greater is slightly larger than the lesser yellow-headed vulture, but otherwise the two birds are very similar in appearance and habits. Their geographic ranges overlap significantly in Central and South America.
Feeding and Roosting Behaviors
Some key aspects of their feeding ecology and behaviors:
- Forage in groups and roost communally
- Soar extensively to locate carrion sources
- Unfeathered heads may help keep them clean when feeding
- Will occasionally take live prey like rodents
- Population declines due to habitat loss and poisoning
These two smaller relatives of the turkey vulture serve important roles as scavengers cleaning up carrion across Central and South America. Protecting their populations from poisoning and habitat loss will ensure they continue to fill this key ecological niche.
Evolutionary Relationships Between Species
While the New World vultures all share a close evolutionary lineage, molecular studies have helped uncover the relationships between the different species:
Species | Estimated Divergence (millions of years ago) |
---|---|
Turkey Vulture & Black Vulture | 1 to 3 |
King Vulture | 6 to 8 |
California Condor | 8 to 10 |
Andean Condor | 10 to 15 |
Lesser & Greater Yellow-headed Vulture | 3 to 5 |
This helps illustrate how the turkey vulture is most closely related to the widespread black vulture, followed by the king vulture and two yellow-headed vultures. The large condors were early offshoots of the ancestral vulture lineage. All of the species share common traits indicating their relationship, but each has evolved unique adaptations to carrion-feeding in their own habitats.
Conclusion
In summary, the turkey vulture shares the order Cathartiformes with the other New World vultures in the family Cathartidae. Its closest relatives are the black vulture, king vulture, California condor, Andean condor, and yellow-headed vultures. All of these species evolved adaptations for scavenging carrion, including soaring flight, bare heads, and strong beaks. But each also has unique features tailored to its habitat and foraging behaviors. Understanding the turkey vulture’s relations helps shed light on the overall evolution and ecology of these essential scavengers in ecosystems throughout the Americas. Protecting the habitats and food sources of its relatives will in turn help maintain healthy turkey vulture populations into the future.