Turkey Vulture
According to NH Audubon, Turkey Vultures expanded their territory northward in the 1900s, and didn't start nesting in NH "until 1979." Since then, sightings in our skies and by our roadsides happen regularly as their population continues to increase. Their bald red head is necessary for hygiene; meat scraps would get stuck in feathers. It also looks like a turkey’s, hence their name. They are strictly carrion feeders, not birds of prey. They can’t kill their own food, but cow hides can’t compete with the turkey vulture’s beak.
Of all the birds, turkey vultures have the largest olfactory system and catch scents on the wind over a mile away. If needed, they can fly over 200 miles a day. Although they have a six-foot wingspan and stand 2 and a half feet tall, they only weigh around 3 pounds. Their stomach biome, including enzymes and flesh-eating bacteria, allows them to eat diseased meat without harm. They clean up the smells we humans find repulsive, and in doing so, reduce the spread of disease. The scientific name for the turkey vulture, Cathartes aura, means cleansing breeze, or purifying wind.
Turkey vultures enjoy sleeping in because they prefer to coast on the heat waves of midday. Often, you can spot them spreading their wings to get a feel for the morning sun's warmth and to increase their body temperature, while they determine the best time for takeoff. In the winter, you might spot them on chimneys enjoying the warmth, but in summer, they will urinate on their legs to keep cool.
They have a disgusting job to do, but they do it well without complaint.
What do you love about this particular creature?
What do they reveal to you about God and our faith?
I am amazed that this huge bird only weighs about 3 pounds. It is built to do the cleanup job needed in our area. In this big world, we may feel like we don’t have the strength to get the job done, but if we are doing the job God has called us to do, we will have the strength and skill needed to do it well.
Living the life God has called us to live might not be glamorous, but please make it useful, make it good for all creation and all people. Like the Turkey Vulture, take time to watch the sunrise and feel its warmth, be comfortable in your body, no matter how it looks, follow your spiritual senses, and glide along where the wind of the Spirit carries you.
Be a cleansing breeze for our world.
Author - Joan Garuti
Joan Garuti leads the Creation Care ministry at Trinity in Claremont, NH. She enjoys living on a forested hill in Unity with her husband, numerous pets and surrounding wildlife.
O God, having shown us how far your love goes in saving the lost and forgotten, mercifully grant that we might join you in the work of reuniting with all creatures; through Jesus Christ the Wisdom of Creation, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
Creation Collect (Proper 19 Year C) from Season of Creation, A Celebration Guide for Episcopal Parishes