A Committee of Vultures

Turkey vultures are the answer to the question: “What’s ugly and eats the dead?”

I mean turkey vultures no offense here.  But they are not curvy and sleek the way a dove is.  They don’t sing pretty.  And, well, they literally eat the dead.

Northern populations of turkey vultures are “highly migratory” according to www.hawkmountain.org.  This means, essentially, they are smart enough to get out of Montana as soon as the water skiers clear off the lakes at the end of summer, and they don’t return until motorized vehicles start mowing down gophers and skunks emerging from long slumbers in their dens in the spring.  They overwinter in the Southern United States and Central America.

I will admit, vultures are impressive to watch circling up through thermals and gliding low through gullies in search of the recently departed.  They are easy to spot with wingspans that can reach six feet.

Yesterday morning, following a snowstorm from the previous afternoon and evening, I found a committee of five turkey vultures resting in a snag just below my house.  I watched the birds for several minutes.  They were there long enough that I managed to capture a dozen or so photographs.

--Mitchell Hegman