Data Zone
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
SACC. 2005 and updates. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Least Concern | |
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 2012 | Least Concern | |
| 2009 | Least Concern | |
| 2008 | Least Concern | |
| 2004 | Least Concern | |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | low |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 47,100,000 km2 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 40,200,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | unknown | poor | estimated | 2009 |
| Population trend | stable | - | estimated | - |
| Generation length | 9.9 years | - | - | - |
Trend justification: The overall trend is likely to be stable. This species has undergone a large and statistically significant increase over the last 40 years in North America (161% increase over 40 years, equating to a 27.1% increase per decade; data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007). Note, however, that these surveys cover less than 50% of the species's range in North America.
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | extant | native | ||||
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bahamas | extant | native | ||||
| Belize | extant | native | ||||
| Bermuda (to UK) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Bolivia | extant | native | ||||
| Brazil | extant | native | ||||
| Canada | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | extant | native | ||||
| Chile | extant | native | ||||
| Colombia | extant | native | ||||
| Costa Rica | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cuba | extant | native | ||||
| Dominican Republic | extant | native | ||||
| Ecuador | extant | native | ||||
| El Salvador | extant | native | ||||
| Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | extant | native | ||||
| French Guiana | extant | native | ||||
| Guatemala | extant | native | ||||
| Guyana | extant | native | ||||
| Haiti | extant | native | ||||
| Honduras | extant | native | ||||
| Jamaica | extant | native | yes | |||
| Mexico | extant | native | ||||
| Nicaragua | extant | native | ||||
| Panama | extant | native | ||||
| Paraguay | extant | native | ||||
| Peru | extant | native | ||||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | extant | native | ||||
| South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands | extant | native | ||||
| Suriname | extant | native | ||||
| Trinidad and Tobago | extant | native | ||||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | extant | native | ||||
| Uruguay | extant | native | yes | |||
| USA | extant | native | yes | |||
| Venezuela | extant | native | ||||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | extant | vagrant |
| Country/Territory | IBA Name |
|---|---|
| Mexico | Centro de Veracruz |
| Mexico | Istmo de Tehuantepec - Mar Muerto |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Pastureland | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Pastureland | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest | suitable | breeding |
| Desert | Hot | suitable | non-breeding |
| Desert | Hot | suitable | breeding |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | non-breeding |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | breeding |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland | suitable | non-breeding |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland | suitable | breeding |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane | suitable | non-breeding |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane | suitable | breeding |
| Forest | Temperate | suitable | non-breeding |
| Forest | Temperate | suitable | breeding |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded | suitable | non-breeding |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded | suitable | breeding |
| Shrubland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | non-breeding |
| Shrubland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 4300 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Food - human | subsistence, national |
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | international |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/turkey-vulture-cathartes-aura on 23/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/11/2024.