How can you tell a California condor from a turkey vulture? One of the easiest differences to spot is the coloration of their wings as they soar overhead (or in this case, perform some synchronized sunbathing). The wings of a turkey vulture are white on the tips and black on the shoulder, whereas California condors are the opposite: black-tipped wings with white shoulders. Plus, there’s quite a difference in size; the wingspan of a turkey vulture is about half the size of a condor’s! In this first picture, a juvenile turkey vulture with a fuzzy grey head and an older, red-headed vulture aren’t spreading their wings to show off their coloration, they really are sunning themselves. Standing with their backs to the sun allows their dark feathers to absorb heat. This can help warm the birds up, dry them off after wet weather, and may even help kill parasites and bacteria - which is a good thing when you consider that vultures like to eat dead things that can carry some nasty germs. Speaking of nasty, when turkey vultures get too hot, they will defecate on their legs to cool themselves down. And if that isn't gross enough for you, consider their defense-mechanism: vomit. Turkey vultures will literally just throw up on predators that get too close. So let's just admire from a distance. #NatureCanBeGross #TurkeyVultures #WildlifeWednesday