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Turkey vultures photographed (at last!)

I've always been intrigued by the big black birds which kept catching thermals overhead. They are particularly active (or I just keep noticing them) in the East Bay. But I couldn't photograph them because they were in flight, or they were roosting but I didn't have my camera with me, or I was behind the wheel and I couldn't really take a photo.

But one afternoon, Daddy was driving along Railroad Ave and I was ready to take a photo when the traffic light turned red. There were many of these birds hanging out in the eucalyptus trees lining the side of the road. Unfortunately, they were all looking the other way and I couldn't see their faces (and therefore I wouldn't be able to identify them).


Then I spotted one bird sitting near the top of a tree, facing us! Finally, a bird I could photograph and use to figure out what they are!


All along, I thought that these birds were hawks or eagles (obviously I still can't differentiate between raptor types just by looking at their outspread wings). However, a look at birding websites indicated that the birds I saw were turkey vultures... called as such because of the featherless red heads that resembled turkeys.

As always, I was using my Canon SX720 HS point-and-shoot to photograph these birds.
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