The Unique and Limited Vocalizations of the Turkey Vulture

With their large black bodies, bare red heads, and distinctive v-shaped flying pattern, turkey vultures are a bird that most people can easily identify. But while we may recognize their appearance, many don’t realize that these ubiquitous scavengers actually make very few sounds. Unlike songbirds or even their fellow raptors, turkey vultures have extremely limited vocalizations.

So what noises do turkey vultures make? Here’s a look at the peculiar and raspy vocalizations of these birds that are often seen but rarely heard,

The Limited Vocal Repertoire

Turkey vultures lack a syrinx which is the vocal organ that enables most bird species to sing. Without this apparatus, turkey vultures can only manage a few primitive rasps croaks, and hisses.

Their vocalizations include:

• Hissing – The most common turkey vulture sound, a guttural hiss is made during aggression displays at carcasses or when threatened. It sounds gravelly, like a snarl.

• Whining – Turkey vultures may emit a nasal, whining “reeeh” sound in flight, communicating with others in their group.

• Grunting – At their roost, turkey vultures may make soft grunts or croaks, likely social communication between the birds.

When and Why They Vocalize

Turkey vultures reserve their vocalizations for very specific circumstances:

• Agonistic interactions at carcasses, as they hiss and joust for the best feeding position

• Warning off predators or competing vultures from their nest, hissing in defense

• General social communication at communal roosts

• Contact calls between birds in flight, whining to coordinate movement

So most turkey vulture sounds are related to squabbling over food resources or communal roosting behavior. Outside of these contexts, they are largely silent. Their hisses and grunts convey simple messages associated with their scavenger lifestyle.

Unique Adaptations

The small vocal range of turkey vultures is directly tied to their evolutionary adaptations:

• As soaring birds, complex vocalizations for attracting mates were not a priority.

• Their excellent eyesight reduces need for auditory communication.

• Carrion-eating does not require song to attract prey like hawks.

• Few predators to warn each other about vocally.

So while a limited voice box may seem like a deficit, it suits the turkey vulture’s niche perfectly. Their gruff and guttural sounds match their evolutionary path as primarily soaring, seeing, and scavenging birds.

Recording Turkey Vulture Sounds

Want to hear these raspy vultures for yourself? Here are some tips:

• Visit a turkey vulture roost site shortly before dusk when they are most vocal.

• Get audio near a rotting carcass they are feasting on to hear aggressive hisses.

• Use bird call playback apps that include turkey vulture vocals to elicit a response.

• Check out online libraries like Cornell’s Macaulay Library for turkey vulture sound clips.

• Listen for their whining contact call on thermal updrafts where they soar and glide.

Catching the squeaks, croaks and hisses of turkey vultures in the wild reveals a unique and primitive vocal repertoire adapted for their scavenger lifestyle over song. Next time you see turkey vultures silently circling overhead, remember they do have a voice, limited as it may be. Their raspy guttural sounds offer a window into their evolutionary biology and behavior.