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Turkey Vulture
Cathates aura

History
Male: He had a fractured ulna (bone in the wing). The bone did not heal well enough for him to be released. He was transferred to Coyote Point Museum in 1991 and placed in the raptor aviary.
Female: She had an injury on the tip of her right wing, and it had to be pinioned (this is when the wing is amputated at the wrist). She was transferred to Coyote Point Museum in 1991 and placed in the raptor aviary.

Fun Facts
Vultures poop on their legs to kill the bacteria from the carrion they eat.

Birth Date
Unknown, but estimated around 1990.

Wild Diet
Carrion from the size of mice and snakes to the size of a horse; they will sometimes take young herons or ibis from their nests or may kill weak or dying animals.

Museum Diet
Rats, chicks, quail, and rabbit.

Life Span
In the Wild: Approximately 16 years.
In Captivity: About 30 years. The oldest known siblings are 37 years old (hatched in 1972).

Habitat
Open plains, deserts and forests.

Range
Southern Canada south into Central and South America.

Conservation Status:
No special status. However, their close relative, the California Condor, is very endangered.