Rare Bird Sighting

by Mark Alexander Posth

A Turkey Vulture was recently spotted circling over the south side of Mt. Sutro. Although these vultures are common elsewhere, sightings are rare on Mt. Sutro. 

So why this one come here?

Turkey Vultures are usually found in relatively open areas near woodland, which are important both for nesting and roosting. The vultures generally avoid enclosed forested areas like most of Mt. Sutro that may hamper their ability to take flight — at their size, with a wingspan of 63–72 inches, and a length of 24–32 inches, they are not the quickest takeoff vehicles—so they tend to favor more open areas.

They don’t even like hard flying: they are often spotted lazily riding thermals, with wings held upward in a shallow V as they rock side to side in flight, seldom flapping their wings. 

So why this this one decide to come here? 

While the turkey vulture is its name —with its red head, it bears a strong resemblance to the male turkey—carrion is its game. Its featherless head, an adaptation to staying clean and parasite-free while digging around inside carcasses, its state-of-the-art smell (among the best in the animal kingdom), and keen eyesight are all designed to help find and dispose of dead stuff. 

Encountering a Turkey vulture on the ground is not considered a nice experience: Its well-known habit, according to Birds of San Francisco (Fisher, Morlan), is to regurgitate its rotting meal and spit it at intruders.

In California, the major vulture species are the California Condor and the Turkey Vulture. (The Black Vulture is also occasionally found, but it's considered an accidental species.) Some Turkey Vultures may remain in the area year-round, while others migrate to warmer regions during the winter months. 

So why did this one appear here? 

It’s possible the recent clearing of trees on Mt. Sutro, resulting in larger clear areas—more favorable to the Turkey Vulture—is more to its liking, and now we’ll see it more often. 

Or, maybe it will move here permanently after discovering a new opening in the Mt. Sutro ecosystem: garbage collector.

Hear the Turkey Vulture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB1GyHGumkQ[Note:

Bird Notes

by Mark Alexander Posth

On a recent Saturday in May, finishing a long hike, I strolled along the Fairy Gate trail and then out to Edgewood entertained by one of the leading avian choruses in the area. I consistently find this area of the mountain to have the most birds. 

In under 10 minutes I heard Robins, Sparrows, Finches, Warblers and more—9 different species in all. While I’m sure the turkey vulture would like to have contributed, I don’t think its hisses would have added much to the occasion.