Date: 7/30/26 2:52 pm From: Jim Nelson <jim.nelson.tax.aide...> Subject: [MDBirding] Interesting Turkey Vulture Interaction
I observed an adult Turkey Vulture on the ground in our Bethesda backyard eating something. This is only the second time we have had a Turkey Vulture on the ground. Most observations have been a bird soaring overhead.
I realized that, at lunchtime when we were sitting on the deck eating, I had gotten a hint of a rotting smell. The vulture was eating about 25 feet from the deck where we had been sitting, so I probably did smell whatever it was that was dead. From what I could see as the vulture was eating, it appeared to be a mammal, gray in color, probably a gray squirrel. After observing the vulture for about five minutes, another Turkey Vulture suddenly flew in, landed next to the first vulture, immediately grabbed the food item, and quickly flew off. I have seen Turkey Vultures eating as a group at a carcass, but this is the first time that I have seen one vulture steal a food item from another vulture and take off with it.
The first vulture looked rather puzzled for a while, and then flew off. As the vulture soared nearby, an American Crow began to fly after it, harassing it for a minute before giving up.
Seven or eight minutes later, a Turkey Vulture landed in the area where the food had been and began looking around. No way to tell if this was the first vulture coming back to check, or a new vulture that had picked up the residual smell.
All of this shows how well Turkey Vultures can smell dead stuff.
Jim Nelson Bethesda, MD <kingfishers2...>
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