The turkey vulture migrates through the Panama Canal region and is one of the most abundant raptors in the world.
Turkey vultures range across much of the Americas. Birds from the United States and Canada commonly migrate south in autumn, while many tropical populations remain resident. Large flights can be seen over Central America, where birds use rising warm air to travel with little wing flapping.
Their broad wings, small head and red, featherless skin make them recognizable at a distance. They locate carrion mainly through smell, an unusual ability among birds of prey. This scavenging role helps remove dead animals from ecosystems.
The turkey vulture is not a close equivalent of the Old World griffon vultures. New World vultures have a separate evolutionary history, and similarities between the groups largely reflect similar ecological roles.