Vulture in Southern AB

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I took these pictures about two months ago but I only thought to post them now. This is at my parents farm a few minutes outside of Brooks AB. I am no expert but this sure looks like a vulture. It landed in an elm tree in our yard and stayed for a few minutes. Once I got too close to the tree it flew away. I was blown away by its massive wingspan.

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Yes it is a vulture. Turkey vulture to be exact. We have them here in Saskatchewan too. I have seen them as far north as Elbow but they are far more common in the south west corner around Eastend and the Cypress Hills.
 
Good info. This was the first time in my life that I have ever seen a vulture so I was quite surprised. I didn't know there were any vulture species in this part of the continent.
 
I saw lots of them in P.A., most folks on the prairies have prolly seen them but didn't realize what it was. They are in the air most of the time, and have a distinct profile while gliding on air currents. Their wings form a sharper "V" then other big birds and they change their glide pattern with a jerky motion and don't noticeably move their wings to do that.
 
tiriaq said:
When I was a kid, you didn't see turkey buzzards in ON. Started noticing them in the '60s. They are very common now. Really enjoy watching them soar.
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Same. I saw my first one in the mid-90's. Now we are even getting black vultures, too.
 
I've seen Turkey Vulture while fishing on the Bow below Calgary and down near Pincher Creek.

Quite common in Ontario, and have seen as many as a dozen in the air at once over
the farm here in Central Ontario.

Not hard to see several hundred in a day in Cuba ... They winter there. They're everywhere in the country side. Almost one on every fence-post in the morning airing out their wings.
 
There's plenty of them here in South Central BC as well.They show up in late April and by the end of September they've headed South. Mur
 
They are in expansion to the north all over Canada. They now are a common sighting up to Charlevoix, (past Qhuebec city), I've seen some far away in the woods.

They were present in Quebec - coming from the Green Mountains - in the early '90's, we saw our first ones in (Mont St-Césaire) while rock climbing, I came close to put a hand in a nest (without chicks - the nests are really summary), so they already settled.

Biologists relates their expansion with the spread of roads, bringing ready availlable carrion to them.
 
ben hunchak said:
I saw lots of them in P.A., most folks on the prairies have prolly seen them but didn't realize what it was. They are in the air most of the time, and have a distinct profile while gliding on air currents. Their wings form a sharper "V" then other big birds and they change their glide pattern with a jerky motion and don't noticeably move their wings to do that.
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Funny you should mention that.....I believe you have solved a nagging wtf I've had for about two weeks now.:D
 
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