The bird for the birds: Backyard turkey time

Written by Jack Sanders
Thursday, 02 December 2010 12:49

Our annual Thanksgiving tradition — a bird for the birds — was much more successful this year than expected.

Early each Friday morning after Thanksgiving, we deliver the well-picked carcass of the holiday’s turkey to the back yard. This year’s 20-pounder served 16 humans for dinner, plus leftovers, and its remnants fed several dozen Turkey and Black Vultures Friday morning and again on Saturday.

There is a large winter roost of vultures along Route 35, West Lane, in Ridgefield, only about a thousand feet from our house. The roost has gathered annually for at least 20 years, and year to year varies in size from maybe 30 to more than a hundred birds.

When we first noticed it, the roost contained only Turkey Vultures, but in the past half dozen years, Black Vultures have appeared and seem to be gradually increasing in numbers. Black Vultures, a more southern species, have been working their way north, probably because of the warmer winters, maybe because of increasing forest land, but also possibly because of the rich supply of dead animals, particularly deer.

Invariably, the first to notice the turkey carcass are the crows. However, the Turkey Vultures are not far behind. Unlike the vast majority of birds in North America, the Turkey Vulture has a keen sense of smell, and is able to detect carrion from long distances. Its cousin, the Black Vulture, lacks the nasal talents and instead keeps an eye open for activity. Crows gathered on the ground or, better, Turkey Vultures on the ground are sure signs of food below.

So first the crows, then the Turkey Vultures, then the Black Vultures tend to show up. The crows are quickly chased away — small birds by comparison — leaving the two vulture species to battle over the treats. Though smaller, the Black Vultures are feistier and usually wind up getting their way with the meat.

You can watch a “low quality” video of the feast at www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PqpnGY3e-Y

This year, the carcass lasted two days, and Saturday morning offered a special surprise. I walked out of the house a little before dawn to go for a walk when I heard the local crows grousing at something out back. At first I thought it might be a coyote or fox, attracted to the remnants of the turkey, but the crow calls were not quite as harsh as they are with those predators. Then, suddenly, two big black birds took off across our back yard and headed out over the woods to the west. At first, I thought they were big crows but when they started croaking, I realized we had attracted a rare pair of Common Ravens.

I say “rare” because in Fairfield County, ravens are not often seen. They range across very northern New England, and much of Canada, as well as down the whole West Coast from the Rockies westward.  Out West, they can even be found in cities. However, most of the East Coast as well as central and southern states are not raven territory.

Ravens are often confused with crows, but are definitely larger — 2.6 pounds compared to a one-pound crow; 53-inch wingspan compared to 39 inches for a crow. Nonetheless, ravens can be hard to differentiate without the two birds side by side.

However, that wasn’t the confirming ID here. As they flew off, both birds were loudly squawking with their distinctive, rattlely “croak” that is nothing like a crow “caw.”

The summer before last, I saw a pair of ravens about four miles north of the latest sighting. I wonder whether these birds may be starting to move into our area — just as the Black Vultures have. Highly intelligent birds (about which Bernd Heinrich wrote the fascinating book, Ravens in Winter), they would be a welcome addition to our landscape. In fact, they would probably not be a new, but a returning species that had lived here long ago and been chased out by the felling of the forests that accompanied European settlement.

What may be most amazing about ravens is their range. They live year round from the most Arctic regions of frozen northern Canada and Alaska all the way down into western Mexico and Central America.

Talk about adaptability!

Coming up

Winter Weekend Field Trip to Brigantine, N.J., with Saw Mill River Auditon, Saturday, Dec. 4 (can be extended to Dec. 5), register at 914-666-6503, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Kakapo Parrot Day, lecture & a film about the world’s rarest parrot species, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2 to 5 p.m., $10 donation, Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich.audubon.org, 203-869-5272  x239.

Peekskill Christmas Bird Count, led by Saw Mill River Audubon, Saturday, Dec. 18, dawn to dusk, register at 914-666-6503, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Stamford-Greenwich Christmas Bird Count, Sunday, Dec. 19, pre-dawn to 5 p.m., Greenwich Audubon, call Ted Gilman to join a counting team, 203-869-5272 x230; info at www.audubon.org/bird/cbc

Bronx-Westchester Christmas Bird Count, Dec. 26, dawn to dusk, various locations, contact Saw Mill River Audubon for  information, 914-666-6503 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Bird Tours, with Connecticut Audubon: Tanzania, Jan. 10-22; Cuba,  March 1-13; Costa Rica, March 18-29; Galapagos Islands, April 9-18; Mount Auburn, Cambridge, Mass., May 13-15; Martha’s Vineyard, May 26-29; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 860-767-0660.

Copyright 2010 by Jack Sanders. Send sightings or comments to: jackfsanders [at sign] yahoo.com, or to Bird Notes, Box 1019, Ridgefield, CT 06877; or call 203-438-1183, extension BIRD (2473), and leave a message with your report, spelling your first and last names and telling us your town. If you need help identifying a bird, try your local nature center. If you find an injured bird, call wildlife rehabilitator Darlene Wimbrow of Redding, 203-438-0618, Wildlife in Crisis of Weston, 203-544-9913, or Wild Wings of Greenwich, 203-637-9822. The columnist’s website is www. sandersbooks. com.