June 14, 2009 - Bare Necessities

Welcome to the Nature Notebook.

Turkey Vultures are uniquely different birds in many ways. Although many familiar birds invest a lot of time and effort constructing a nest of twigs, grass, mud or other materials, Turkey Vultures do little to prepare for egg-laying. Twice over the years I have stumbled upon vulture nesting sites. Both times the nest was well hidden among a jumble of rocks, protected from prying eyes in a heavily wooded area. Both sites were on ridges. Vultures also nest in a hollow log or tree or in a cave, preferring dark recesses for their eggs. They have nested in abandoned barns or sheds on occasion. Both parents incubate the one to three eggs laid on bare ground. From their gliding flight to their nesting site, turkey vultures appear to be minimalists in their lifestyle.

This is PPL's naturalist, Jon Beam, with the Nature Notebook for WVIA.