On average, turkey vultures grow to a length of 32 inches (2 foot 8 inches), weigh up to 3 lbs, and have wingspans that can reach nearly 6 feet. The Turkey Vulture is not on the worlds largest wingspan list, but nevertheless, it does encompass impressively large wings that can be intimidating to any land-dwelling being. There is no measurable difference in the wingspan between males and females, as all vultures tend to fall within the given wingspan range. And In this article, Ive explained and compared the size of the Turkey Vulture. Turkey vultures have brownish black plumage with a bare neck and head. Turkey vultures have massive wingspans that equal that of many eagles. Whereas Turkey Vultures are lanky birds with teetering flight, Black Vultures are compact birds with broad wings, short tails, and powerful wingbeats. They are long-lived birds, regularly living to 20 years in the wild and up to 24 in captivity. How big is a turkey vulture? Brownish/black body, the featherless head is black in immature birds, red in adults. How did we live without you? Turkey vultures also have small heads. Whereas, the bird looks like a minimal-sized creature in the first case. The two species often associate: the Black Vulture makes up for its poor sense of smell by following Turkey Vultures to . Nothing to be surprised about and just like any other living creature on this planet, a baby turkey vulture is different from a grown-up or adult one. Have some feedback for us? Turkey vultures are very large birds. In addition, Turkey vultures have extremely broad wings that help them soar at high altitudes of some 20,000ft, where they hover for many hours in search of carrion. By soaring on thermal currents, a Turkey vulture can cover some 200 miles a day without even flapping its wings. . If you ever take a walk on the islands of South America, you may probably catch sight of high soaring raptors with their v-shaped wingspan. An easy way to distinguish a vulture flying in their air is their classic wobble. This wobble is seen in their circling patterns and while at low altitudes. In fact, almost all bird species have unique wings and wingspans even if they are similar. Just how big is a Turkey Vulture? Turkey vultures are unique in the vulture world since they have an incredibly developed sense of smell. They reach maturity around two years, at which point their heads fully redden, and they reach their full weight and size. They are quite huge, but only weigh approximately 3 pounds. This plumage difference will be very helpful if the bird you are observing is immature. Wings are held in a V when soaring unlike eagles which hold their wings straight out. In fact, a large Turkey vulture will weigh around 2.5kg (5.5lb), whereas a large Bald eagle can weigh up to 9kg (20lb)! Turkey vultures have large wingspans, but they arent the longest in the world or even North America. On average, turkey vultures grow to a length of 32 inches (2 foot 8 inches), weigh up to 3 lbs, and have wingspans that can reach nearly 6 feet. The wingspan is approximately 5.7 feet. These birds are native to a large span of the area between Southern Canada and South America. Birds rock or appear unsteady in flight. What Is the Biggest Star Observed in the Universe? Wingspan 6 feet; length, 27 inches. The Turkey Vulture has a large wingspan of between 67 and 72 inches in length. They are notably bad flyers, however, and struggle to stay aloft without the help of thermal columns that lift them up. They have wingspans that can reach up to 6 feet and they weigh up to 5 pounds. On average, the osprey has a larger wingspan than they do, consistently coming in at 6 feet. Turkey Vultures look a lot similar to bald eagles. It takes around 2 years for a baby turkey vulture to mature and grow to its full size. Turkey Vulture Wingspan: Do Turkey Vultures have a large wingspan? 71 views View upvotes 1 What's bigger vultures or eagles? Turkey vultures are some of the most common vultures in North and South America. These carrion eaters mostly forage their food from dead corpses. Breeding females may produce one to three eggs, which are white with brown spots and are laid in areas of thick . All the better for soaring! There are a few reasons this may occur. The golden eagle has a wingspan ranging from 6 to 7.5 feet and he weighs between 6 and 15 pounds. The Turkey Vulture has a large wingspan of between 67 and 72 inches in length. The wingspan range simply depends on the specific birds size and their natural growth habits. The Turkey Vulture seldom beats its wings. They use their incredible senses of sight and smell to identify carrion from a great height of up to 20,000ft. The table below precisely tells the difference in main features between the two birds. Turkey vultures differ in size and weight across their range. 6 feet Wingspan 6 feet; length, 27 inches. Brownish/black body, the featherless head is black in immature birds, red in adults. Wings are held in a V when soaring, unlike eagles which hold their wings straight out. They measure around 2.6ft long. >> People will often mistakenly call turkey vultures, buzzards, which is the British name for certain hawks. With sooty black plumage, a bare black head, and neat white stars under the wingtips, Black Vultures are almost dapper. It weighs about 4 pounds. The broad wings and short tail give the impression of having a roundish trailing edge silhouette. Seen a bird and not sure what it was? Turkey vultures have a similar wingspan to a Bald eagle, albeit around half a foot smaller. They reach maturity around two years, at which point their heads fully redden, and they reach their full weight and size. Obviously, this typically happens in captivity. Not all bird wings are the same. Relative Size. Lets take a look at these birds and learn: just how big are turkey vultures? Never underestimate the wingspan of a turkey vulture for its medium body size. Turkey vultures are technically birds of prey, but they very rarely hunt living prey. What Is a Scrim? The wobble is known as contorted soaring, and its the vultures utilizing small-scale turbulence to stay in the air longer. A pair of turkey vultures perched together. Rather than clawing and picking up their prey, Turkey vultures tuck in with their large, powerful bill. How big is a turkey vultures wingspan? Wing Checking out a kill for a few moments could be the difference between being attacked by a pack of hyenas. Do condors still exist? How big are Tukey vultures compared to a human? The Turkey vultures lightweight and enormous wingspan enable it to soar above the ground with little effort. Turkey vultures are larger to the north of their range in the USA and tend to be smaller in South America at the south of their range. >> Turkey vultures average 2 1/2 feet tall with a 6 foot wingspan. Large folds of skin hang from the sides of its bare head. This is broadly continuous with Bergmanns Rule, which states that organisms that live further from the equator are generally larger and heavier to protect them from lower temperatures. The mere presence of a vulture might hint that death is nearby, but despite their rather brutish form, theyre actually intelligent and intuitive birds with exceptional senses of sight and smell. Though not very large, these birds have a large wingspan making them excellent flyers. Darryl here is modeling a 6 foot wingspan! This isnt as necessary in eastern North America since few scavengers could scare away a vulture, but it could be very valuable for Old World vultures in Africa and Asia. How big is a turkey vultures wingspan? Do you have a question about this topic that we haven't answered? (Turkey Buzzard Diet), Where Do Turkey Vultures Live? Their legs are often pale red or gray but will usually appear white. When a vulture hits one of these columns, it can use its large wingspan to catch the hot air up. The turkey vultures are known to have large wings but they fail to surpass condors in this feature. Believe it or not, most vultures only weigh between 2 and 4 pounds in total! How big is a turkey vultures wingspan? Once a turkey vulture has found food, the black vulture will follow suit. Some birds wingspans are only a few inches in size, while others, like the Andean Condor, can display wingspans of more than 10 feet! Range Its important to note, however, that this isnt the vultures waiting for an animal to die. The turkey vulture is smaller than both eagles, weighing only about 5 or 6 pounds with a 6-foot wingspan. You might also be interested in:Golden Eagle Wingspan: How Big It Is & How It Compares to Other Birds, Featured Image Credit: David Osborn, Shutterstock. This is likely due to the turkey vultures need to soar long distances in search of food. Turkey vultures are much smaller, with a wingspan of about 5.5 feet compared to the condor's 9.5 foot wingspan. An immature Turkey Vulture's head is dark gray. When we are studying the features of a turkey vulture, then weight becomes very interesting. Their wingspan is very large relative to their body size and weight. Wings are held in a V when soaring, unlike eagles which hold their wings straight out. Birds similarly sized to Turkey vultures include: Turkey vultures arent dangerous. The tail is shorter and wider than a turkey vulture 's. The undersides of the wings are dark gray with large white patches near the wing tips. She is an artist at heart and loves to read, paint, and make jewelry in her spare time. The average age is estimated to be around 20 years. There's a whole world to learn about and Colby is content to spend his life learning as much as he can about it! Submit it below, and one of our experts will answer as soon as they can. Turkey vultures are big birds, about the size of a turkey. Turkey Vulture Size & Wingspan: Just How Big Are They? Turkey Vultures is one of just three different species that belong to the Cathartes aura genus. Thats pretty large - and Turkey vultures certainly look large when theyre soaring in the sky. (Habitat + Distribution), Turkey Vulture Nesting (Behavior, Eggs + Location), Get the latest BirdFacts delivered straight to your inbox. Turkey vultures weigh about 4 pounds and may live up to 16 years. How big is a Turkey Vulture wingspan? Keep in mind that this is from end to end, so you wouldnt be facing a bird with more than 12 feet of width when their wings are expanded! On average the black vulture size ranges between 56-74 cm (22-29 in). Most of their feathers are dark brown, but portions of the underside of their wings are silver/grey in color. Black vultures have a 4.5 to 5.5 ft wingspan. Weight: 1.9-4.4 lbs (0.85-2.0 kg) Length: 25-32 in (64-81 cm) Wingspan: 67-72 in (170-183 cm) There are six subspecies of turkey vulture that vary in size. Their feather color and bare red-heads are the reason they can be confused with turkeys, although they are significantly smaller and differently shaped than a turkey is. Many Albatrosses and Vultures are among the worlds lists of birds with the longest wingspans. The main tool that turkey vultures (and most other vultures) use to assist in flying is thermal columns. With a 6ft wingspan, a flying Turkey vulture certainly looks large and imposing. In spite of their large size, they only weigh about 3 pounds. Though not very tall or heavy, this species of vulture is relatively much larger than the small-sized birds found in their area. Though not very large, these birds have a large wingspan making them excellent flyers. In fact, their sense of smell is so good that black vultures will often circle above the turkey vultures, waiting for them to pick up the scent of dead meat. Since 2000, Rachael has been a freelance writer, and has had an opportunity to research and write about many different topics while working to master the art of fusing high-quality content with effective content marketing strategies. Being 1 metre (3.3 feet) tall, with a 2.7-metre (8.9-foot) wingspan, it dominates all other vultures when feeding. Turkey vultures average 2 1/2 feet tall with a 6 foot wingspan. Have your eyes ever caught the sight of a man holding a turkey vulture in his hands?