Vultures are highly sociable birds found on most continents of the world – excluding Australia and Antarctica. Most of the time, vultures are spotted as a collective unit, so what is the collective noun for a group of vultures?
The term or name for a group of vultures varies depending on where they are, although the generic term is a flock. When they are flying in formation, they are referred to as a kettle. When they are resting in a tree or on the ground, vultures are called a committee, and whilst feeding, they are known as a wake.
Continue reading for other less commonly used collective nouns for a flock of vultures, along with more information on why theyre called a wake and why and when they form communities together.
With their large, soaring figures and bald red heads, turkey vultures are a distinctive sight in the sky. These fascinating scavengers play an important role in the ecosystem by cleaning up carrion. But you may be wondering – what is a group of turkey vultures called? Read on to learn the names for turkey vulture groups and gather some captivating facts about their behavior and adaptations.
Names for a Group of Turkey Vultures
Turkey vultures have a few different collective nouns depending on what they are doing:
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A “kettle” refers to a group of turkey vultures circling or soaring in flight. The term refers to the way they use thermal columns of rising air to gain height similar to boiling water in a kettle.
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When turkey vultures are feeding together at a carcass on the ground they form a “wake.” This name refers to the old tradition of mourners gathering after a funeral.
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A more general term for a group of turkey vultures on the ground is a “committee.”
- In flight: a kettle
- Feeding: a wake
- On ground: a committee
Next let’s look at why turkey vultures form groups and more about their typical behavior.
Fascinating Facts About Turkey Vulture Behavior
Here are some interesting facts about the behavior of these unique birds:
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Soaring in numbers – Turkey vultures often soar in large kettles that can number 100 birds or more. Soaring together helps them find thermals and saves energy.
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Community feeders – At carcasses, turkey vultures feed in large wakes. Group feeding likely provides safety benefits for the vulnerable birds.
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Playful on the ground – Turkey vultures spend much time soaring, but when on the ground they will sun bathe, play and socialize.
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Mating for life – Turkey vulture pairs are monogamous and mate for life. They perform aerial displays during courtship.
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Shared parenting – Both male and female vultures incubate eggs and care for chicks. The male often feeds the female while she incubates.
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Long commitment – Turkey vultures have an extended breeding period. Incubation takes 38-41 days and fledging 88-140 days.
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Communal roosts – At night, turkey vultures gather in large communal roosts sometimes numbering thousands of birds.
So while turkey vultures may feed alone, they are highly social birds that thrive living and interacting in groups. Their coordinated group behaviors likely provide safety and efficiency benefits.
Turkey Vulture Adaptations For A Scavenger Lifestyle
Turkey vultures have evolved a number of adaptations that make them ideally suited to a lifestyle of scavenging dead animals:
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Keen sense of smell – Turkey vultures have an excellent sense of smell, allowing them to detect gasses emitted by decaying carcasses from up to a mile away.
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Soaring flight – Long, broad wings allow turkey vultures to soar for hours without flapping, saving energy as they search for food.
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Bald head – A featherless red head prevents bacteria and rotting bits from sticking as they dig into carcasses.
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Strong immune system – Their immune system protects turkey vultures from disease often present in carrion. Their stomach acid also kills bacteria.
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Sharp beak – Turkey vultures have a hooked beak ideal for tearing into tough hides, tendons and tissues.
These unique adaptations make the turkey vulture perfectly evolved for its niche as a major scavenger that helps keep the environment clean.
Benefits Of Turkey Vultures For The Ecosystem
While some misperceive them as pests, turkey vultures provide important benefits:
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As scavengers, they clean up carcasses and prevent the spread of diseases like anthrax.
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By disposing of dead animals, they fill an important ecological niche.
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Turkey vultures have a symbiotic relationship with mammals like coyotes that depend on them to locate carrion.
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They help nutrient cycling by moving nutrients from dead animals back into the soil through their droppings.
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Their circulatory adaptations cool blood going to their feet, helping kill pathogens from carcasses.
So next time you see a soaring kettle or feeding wake of turkey vultures, appreciate the role they play in keeping ecosystems clean and healthy.
Threats Facing Turkey Vultures
Despite their adaptions, turkey vulture populations face a number of threats:
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Habitat loss – Loss of foraging areas and fragmentation of breeding habitats.
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Poisoning – Scavenging poisoned carcasses or lead bullet fragments.
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Collisions – Being struck by cars and wind turbines.
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Persecution – Illegal shooting and poisoning by those who view them negatively.
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Disturbance – Disruption of nesting sites by human activities.
More education on their ecological role and protecting habitat is needed to ensure healthy turkey vulture populations.
Interesting Turkey Vulture Facts
Beyond their interesting group names and behaviors, here are a few more fun turkey vulture facts:
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Turkey vultures have excellent vision and can spot a 3-foot carcass from 4 miles away.
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The turkey vulture’s wingspan is around 6 feet, one of the largest of North American birds.
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Turkey vultures keep themselves cool through urohidrosis, or defecating on their legs and feet.
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They are one of the few bird species with a highly developed sense of smell.
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Turkey vultures migrate in kettles that can exceed 2,000 birds.
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Turkey vultures regurgitate when threatened, which deters predators.
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Their bald heads are thought to have evolved as an adaptation against bacteria and gore.
What do you call a group of vultures eating?
A group of vultures eating a dead animal is called a wake.
Why do vultures flock together in groups?
Vultures are naturally a gregarious species, and they flock together for migration and also to forage for food. These large roosts can mean that the efficiency of foraging becomes much better, especially on unpredictable, dispersed carrion by local enhancement. Another reason is to avoid predation, and it can also be a good opportunity for social interactions for finding mates, etc.
Vultures will often also fly together in these large groups for migration or for foraging and searching for food.
Turkey Vultures will commonly roost communally with Black Vultures, and these roosts can contain hundreds of other vultures.
A group of Egyptian Vultures, walking along the ground together
The Turkey Vulture: Everything You Need To Know | Eating, Sound/Call, Hiss, Flying, Habitat, Attacks
FAQ
What do you call a pack of turkey vultures?
What is a flock of turkey vultures?
What is a group of circling vultures called?
Why is it called a kettle of vultures?
What is a group of vultures called?
The term or name for a group of vultures varies depending on where they are, although the generic term is a flock. When they are flying in formation, they are referred to as a kettle. When they are resting in a tree or on the ground, vultures are called a committee, and whilst feeding, they are known as a wake.
What is a group of turkey vultures called?
There are no specific terms for a group of turkey vultures, and instead, they can be referred to as any of the general collective nouns for vultures. Such as a wake, kettle or committee. What is a group of black vultures called?
Are turkey vultures a bird?
The Old-World vultures are relatively straightforward, but there is a group of American birds whose relationship with them is still under assessment. Turkey vultures are part of this group, and so named because they have red, featherless heads, sort of like a turkey.
Are turkey vultures social?
Turkey vultures are among the most social of all the vultures, often gathering in groups to migrate, feed, or simply roost together. Additionally, black vultures group up (sometimes with turkey vultures) in large roosts, with the number of vultures reaching into the hundreds.