The Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) is a widely recognized scavenger that soars over much of the Americas, from southern Canada to the tip of South America. These large, dark birds with their distinct featherless red heads are a common sight. Their social lives often spark curiosity, particularly regarding whether they form lasting relationships. This article explores the nature of the turkey vulture’s pair bond, the rituals that establish it, and the shared responsibilities that maintain it.
The Nature of Turkey Vulture Pair Bonds
Turkey vultures are considered socially monogamous, forming a pair bond that lasts for an extended period, often across multiple breeding seasons. They typically keep the same mate each year unless one partner dies. This commitment enables a stable partnership necessary for raising young. Adult mated pairs spend significantly more time together compared to their solitary foraging or communal roosting behaviors. The longevity of these bonds, sometimes persisting year-round, is an adaptation that reduces the time and energy spent finding a new mate annually.
Courtship and Bonding Rituals
Before the breeding season commences, usually around March, turkey vultures engage in specific behaviors to select a mate or reinforce an existing bond. One of the most visible displays occurs in the air, where one vulture closely follows another in a stylized pattern. This aerial performance involves synchronized flapping and diving, showcasing the health and agility of the potential partner. Courtship also features unique ground displays, often involving several individuals gathering in a loose circle. The birds perform ritualized hopping movements around the perimeter of the circle with their wings partially spread. These rituals solidify the pair’s connection, ensuring they are ready to cooperate for the nesting period ahead.
Shared Parental Responsibilities
The strength of the turkey vulture pair bond is demonstrated through the equal division of labor during the nesting phase. Turkey vultures do not build elaborate nests, instead laying their one to three eggs (two being most common) on bare surfaces in protected locations like hollow logs or rock crevices. Both the male and female share the duty of incubation, taking turns sitting on the eggs for about 30 to 41 days until they hatch. Once the young are born, both adults continue to cooperate in feeding the altricial, or helpless, chicks. Feeding is accomplished through regurgitation, a joint effort that sustains the young for up to 11 weeks until they are ready to fledge.