"Graceful Flight"...

 "Graceful Flight"

As most of you know one of my favorite subjects are birds of prey. I've studied them deeply for most of my life. This is a photograph of a Turkey Vulture in flight. I photographed this raptor at Petit Jean State Park in the winter of 2005.
What I like most about this photograph is that it represents the graceful flight of these vultures. They are masters of manuevering thermals, allowing effortless, endless flight time. These birds of prey aren't often appreciated for all the benefit they provide to nature, which among many, includes removing dead animals (carrion) before they can spread disease. Their highly acidic stomach acid allows them to eat carcasses without getting sick. They have a keen sense of smell, among the best in the bird world, and incredible vision. This species is the largest vulture in Arkansas, with a wingspan of 6-feet, standing about 30-inches tall.
One of the easiest distinguishing marks of this bird is the beautiful silver lining of the underside of the primary feathers, extending most of the length of each wing.  Another mark is the red head. In flight, they are easily identifiable from their V-shaped wings in flight.
Comments welcome.

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas 2005.
Photo # set4_DSC_0174hdr