Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758)
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Cathartidae |
| Genus | Cathartes |
| Species | Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Description
Diagnostic characters
- Ecological class
- Trogloxene
- Realm
- Terrestrial
Distribution
Range
Known from three counties across three states.
Continent
North America
Country
United States
States and provinces
Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee
Counties
- Georgia
- Floyd
- Illinois
- Johnson
- Tennessee
- Franklin
Conservation and management
IUCN Red List
LC Least Concern
Assessed in 2018.
NatureServe
G5 Secure
National ranks
- Canada
- N5B Secure (breeding), N3N Vulnerable (non-breeding)
- United States
- N5B Secure (breeding), N5N Secure (non-breeding)
Subnational ranks
- Quebec
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- British Columbia
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Alberta
- S2B Imperiled (breeding)
- Saskatchewan
- S3B Vulnerable (breeding)
- Manitoba
- S4B Apparently Secure (breeding)
- Nova Scotia
- S2B Imperiled (breeding), S4M Apparently Secure (migrant)
- New Brunswick
- S4B Apparently Secure (breeding)
- Ontario
- S5B Secure (breeding), S3N Vulnerable (non-breeding)
- District of Columbia
- S3N Vulnerable (non-breeding)
- New York
- S4B Apparently Secure (breeding)
- Illinois
- S5 Secure
- Kansas
- S4B Apparently Secure (breeding)
- Vermont
- S3B Vulnerable (breeding)
- Idaho
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Oregon
- S5 Secure
- New Jersey
- S4B Apparently Secure (breeding), S4N Apparently Secure (non-breeding)
- North Dakota
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Montana
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Minnesota
- SNRB (breeding)
- New Mexico
- S5B Secure (breeding), S5N Secure (non-breeding)
- West Virginia
- S5B Secure (breeding), S5N Secure (non-breeding)
- Georgia
- S5 Secure
- Wisconsin
- S4B Apparently Secure (breeding)
- Indiana
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Mississippi
- S4B Apparently Secure (breeding)
- Texas
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- North Carolina
- S5B Secure (breeding), S5N Secure (non-breeding)
- Delaware
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Ohio
- S5 Secure
- Colorado
- S4B Apparently Secure (breeding)
- Washington
- S4B Apparently Secure (breeding)
- Tennessee
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Florida
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Navajo Nation
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Rhode Island
- S2B Imperiled (breeding), S2N Imperiled (non-breeding)
- Massachusetts
- S4B Apparently Secure (breeding), S5M Secure (migrant)
- Arkansas
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Pennsylvania
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Oklahoma
- SNR Unranked
- Arizona
- S5 Secure
- Missouri
- SNRB (breeding), SNRN (non-breeding)
- Alabama
- S5 Secure
- Iowa
- S4B Apparently Secure (breeding), S5N Secure (non-breeding)
- Wyoming
- S4B Apparently Secure (breeding)
- Maine
- S4B Apparently Secure (breeding)
- Maryland
- S5B Secure (breeding), S5N Secure (non-breeding)
- Nebraska
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Louisiana
- S5 Secure
- Virginia
- S4 Apparently Secure
- South Carolina
- S5 Secure
- Kentucky
- S4B Apparently Secure (breeding)
- New Hampshire
- S4B Apparently Secure (breeding)
- Connecticut
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- California
- SNR Unranked
- Michigan
- S5 Secure
- South Dakota
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Utah
- S3B Vulnerable (breeding)
- Nevada
- S5B Secure (breeding)
State and federal status
Not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act
References
- Lewis, J.J. 2005. A biological inventory of caves of the Cumberland Plateau. Tennessee Chapter Cave Program, The Nature Conservancy, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. 156 pp.
- Webb, D.W., Taylor, S.J. & Krejca, J.K. 1993. The biological resources of Illinois caves and other subterranean environments. Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA. 143 pp.
- Zigler, K.S., Niemiller, M.L., Stephen, C.D.R., Ayala, B.N., Milne, M.A., Gladstone, N.S., Engel, A.S., Jensen, J.B., Camp, C.D., Ozier, J.C. & Cressler, A. 2020. Biodiversity from caves and other subterranean habitats of Georgia, USA. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies 82: 125–167. doi:10.4311/2019LSC0125
How to cite this account
Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758). Cave Biology Data Portal, account SP-2266. https://cavebiology.org/species/cathartes-aura/ (accessed 7 September 2026).
Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.
Spotted something wrong on this page? Report a correction. Accounts are compiled from many sources and corrections from people who know the group are the most useful email we get.