“The Latin name of the Turkey Vulture is Cathartes aura, which means “Golden Purifier” or “Purifying Breeze”

“The generic term Cathartes means “purifier” and is the Latinized form from the Greek kathartēs. The species name, aura, is Latinized from the Native Mexican word for the bird, auroura.”

“Cathartes is the Greek word for “purifier,” referring to these vultures’ role as “cleansers” that remove decomposing corpses in nature.”

“…vultures play a very important role in the ecosystem by disposing of carrion that would otherwise be a breeding ground for disease”

“Although they have excellent vision, they are searching for the odor of a carcass with their highly developed sense of smell.

“They have been known to be able to smell carrion from over a mile away which is very unique in the bird world. The turkey vulture has the largest olfactory (smelling) system of all birds.”

“Turkey Vultures can eat…