The turkey vulture is the most widespread of the New World vultures. One of three species in the genus Cathartes, in the family Cathartidae, it ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America, inhabiting subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and deserts. Like all New World vultures, it is not related to the Old World vultures of Europe, Africa, and Asia, but looks nearly identical to them because of convergent evolution, in which unrelated animals adapting to the same conditions are similarly shaped by natural selection. The turkey vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion. It finds its food using its keen eyes and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gases produced by decaying animal corpses. In flight, it uses thermals to move through the air, flapping its wings infrequently. It roosts in large community groups. Lacking a vocal organ, its only vocalizations are grunts or low hisses. It nests in caves, hollow trees, or thickets. Each year it generally raises two chicks. It has very few natural predators, and has legal protection in the United States under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_vulture

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1806:

War of the Fourth Coalition: French troops under Napoleon engaged Russian forces in both the Battles of Pultusk and Golymin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Golymin

1825:

Imperial Russian Army officers led about 3,000 soldiers in a protest against Nicholas I's assumption of the throne after his elder brother Constantine removed himself from the line of succession. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decembrist_revolt

1900:

A relief crew arrived at the lighthouse on the Flannan Isles of Scotland and discovered that the previous crew had disappeared without a trace. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flannan_Isles

1968:

The Communist Party of the Philippines, which is fighting an insurgency, was established by Jose Maria Sison. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jose_Maria_Sison

1996:

The Federation of Korean Trade Unions called upon its 1.2 million members to walk off the job, beginning the largest organized strike in the nation's history, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996%E2%80%9397_strikes_in_South_Korea

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

rebarbative: Irritating, repellent. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rebarbative

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Political leaders are never leaders. For leaders we have to look to the Awakeners! Lao Tse, Buddha, Socrates, Jesus, Milarepa, Gurdjiev, Krishnamurti.   --Henry Miller https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henry_Miller