Turkey Vultures, we think

(Belleville, Ontario)

This morning while making my son's lunch, I looked out of the kitchen window and saw at least six large birds in our backyard. I called out to my son to come and see. I guessed that they were Wild Turkeys.

We took off outside and headed toward the group of birds, but they took to flight and landed up in a dead tree still standing out back, except one that stayed on the ground.

I then thought perhaps they were Turkey Vultures when watching them fly.

I read an article in a "Cottage Life" magazine that said you could tell the birds by their wings.

They we very large, black, though I do not think they were solid black, and they had red beaks.

The crows were by them cawing, so maybe not happy to have them around.

They flew off, one by one, and circled around the neighbourhood until we could no longer see them.

The two still in the tree eventually took off too.

Then my sharp-eyed son saw a pair of Cardinals, and we watched them and then came back inside.

Thank you for your report of your Turkey Vulture sighting!