The John Crow Mountains are a range of mountains in eastern Jamaica .
61-520: The name John Crow was first recorded in the 1820s and comes from the Jamaican name for the turkey vulture . It has been suggested that previous to this, the range was known as the "Carrion Crow Ridge", after an earlier name for the vulture. The mountains extend parallel with the north-east coast of the island, bounded to the west by the banks of the Rio Grande , and joining with the eastern end of
122-429: A cave, a rock crevice, a burrow, inside a hollow tree, or in a thicket. There is little or no construction of a nest; eggs are laid on a bare surface. Females generally lay two eggs, but sometimes one and rarely three. The eggs are cream-colored, with brown or lavender spots around their larger end. Both parents incubate, and the young hatch after 30 to 40 days. Chicks are altricial , or helpless at birth. Both adults feed
183-556: A floppy, buoyant flight style, while others, such as red-tailed hawks and rufous-tailed hawks , tend to be relatively shorter-winged, soaring more slowly and flying with more labored, deeper flaps. Most small and some medium-sized species, from the roadside hawk to the red-shouldered hawk , often fly with an alternation of soaring and flapping, thus may be reminiscent of an Accipiter hawk in flight, but are still relatively larger-winged, shorter-tailed, and soar more extensively in open areas than Accipiter species do. Buteos inhabit
244-563: A length of 62–81 cm (24–32 in), and weight of 0.8 to 2.41 kg (1.8 to 5.3 lb). Birds in the northern limit of the species' range average larger in size than the vulture from the neotropics . 124 birds from Florida averaged 2 kg (4.4 lb) while 65 and 130 birds from Venezuela were found to average 1.22 and 1.45 kg (2.7 and 3.2 lb), respectively. It displays minimal sexual dimorphism ; sexes are identical in plumage and in coloration, and are similar in size. The body feathers are mostly brownish-black, but
305-477: A location where a calf has been killed gives the incorrect impression that the turkey vulture represents a danger to calves. The droppings produced by turkey vultures and other vultures can harm or kill trees and other vegetation. The turkey vulture can be held in captivity, though the Migratory Bird Treaty Act prevents this in the case of uninjured animals or animals capable of returning to
366-419: A turkey vulture as well. Its primary form of defense is regurgitating semi-digested meat, a foul-smelling substance, which deters most creatures intent on raiding a vulture nest. It will also sting if the predator is close enough to get the vomit in its face or eyes. In some cases, the vulture must rid its crop of a heavy, undigested meal to take flight to flee from a potential predator. Its life expectancy in
427-527: A variety of open and semi-open areas, including subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and deserts. Like all New World vultures, it is not closely related to the Old World vultures of Europe, Africa, and Asia. However, the two groups strongly resemble each other due to convergent evolution . The turkey vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion . It finds its food using its keen eyes and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect
488-530: A white beak"). It is a member of the family Cathartidae, along with the other six species of New World vultures, and included in the genus Cathartes , along with the greater yellow-headed vulture and the lesser yellow-headed vulture . Like other New World vultures, the turkey vulture has a diploid chromosome number of 80. The taxonomic placement of the turkey vulture and the remaining six species of New World vultures has been in flux. Though both are similar in appearance and have similar ecological roles ,
549-462: A wide range of habitats across the world, but tend to prefer some access to both clearings, which provide ideal hunting grounds, and trees, which can provide nesting locations and security. All Buteo species are to some extent opportunistic when it comes to hunting, and prey on almost any type of small animal as it becomes available to them. However, most have a strong preference for small mammals , mostly rodents . Rodents of almost every family in
610-453: A wide variety of carrion , from small mammals (such as mice and shrews ) to large grazers (such as ungulates ), preferring those recently dead, and avoiding carcasses that have reached the point of putrefaction . They may rarely feed on plant matter, shoreline vegetation, pumpkin, grape, juniper, coconut and other crops, live frogs, live insects and other invertebrates . In South America, turkey vultures have been photographed feeding on
671-506: Is a rather different kind of scavenger from the black vulture. Like other vultures, it plays an important role in the ecosystem by disposing of carrion, which would otherwise be a breeding ground for disease. The turkey vulture forages by smell, an ability that is uncommon in the avian world, often flying low to the ground to pick up the scent of ethyl mercaptan , a gas produced by the beginnings of decay in dead animals. The olfactory lobe of its brain , responsible for processing smells,
SECTION 10
#1732791211675732-424: Is displayed by other New World vultures, by Old World vultures , and by storks . Like storks, the turkey vulture often defecates on its own legs, using the evaporation of the water in the feces and/or urine to cool itself, a process known as urohidrosis . It cools the blood vessels in the unfeathered tarsi and feet, and causes white uric acid to streak the legs. The turkey vulture has few natural predators and
793-424: Is particularly large compared to that of other animals. This heightened ability to detect odors allows it to search for carrion below the forest canopy. King vultures , black vultures, and condors , which lack the ability to smell carrion, follow the turkey vulture to carcasses. The turkey vulture arrives first at the carcass, or with greater yellow-headed vultures or lesser yellow-headed vultures, which also share
854-595: Is sometimes accused of carrying anthrax or hog cholera , both livestock diseases, on its feet or bill by cattle ranchers and is therefore occasionally perceived as a threat. However, the virus that causes hog cholera is destroyed when it passes through the turkey vulture's digestive tract. This species also may be perceived as a threat by farmers due to the similar black vulture's tendency to attack and kill newborn cattle. The turkey vulture does not kill live animals but will mix with flocks of black vultures and will scavenge what they leave behind. Nonetheless, its appearance at
915-529: Is the Latin name of the common buzzard ). As both terms are ambiguous, buteo is sometimes used instead, for example, by the Peregrine Fund . Buteos are fairly large birds. Total length can vary from 30 to 75 cm (12 to 30 in) and wingspan can range from 67 to 170 cm (26 to 67 in). The lightest known species is the roadside hawk , at an average of 269 g (9.5 oz) although
976-509: Is the short-tailed hawk , which is a relatively small and agile species and is locally a small bird-hunting specialist. The Hawaiian hawk , which evolved on an isolated group of islands with no terrestrial mammals, was also initially a bird specialist, although today it preys mainly on introduced rodents. Other prey may include snakes , lizards , frogs , salamanders , fish , and even various invertebrates , especially beetles . In several Buteo species found in more tropical regions, such as
1037-683: Is widespread over nearly all American habitats but they tend to show particular habitat preferences. It is most commonly found in relatively open areas which juxtapose with woodland , which are important both for nesting and roosting. Furthermore, turkey vultures in North America generally avoid enclosed forested areas that may hamper their ability to take flight and tend to often favor hill or low mountainous areas that make catching flight easier with less effort. This species can be seen over open country , including grasslands but are often absent from completely treeless areas such as some parts of
1098-784: The Blue Mountains in the south-east. The highest point in the range is a little over 1,140 metres (3,740 ft). The John Crow Mountains are also home to the endangered Papilio homerus , the largest butterfly in the Americas. The most well-studied and understood populations of the dwindling species are found where the John Crow Mountains and the Blue Mountains meet. The mountains have been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because they support significant populations of many Jamaican bird species. In 1885 Inspector Herbert T. Thomas of
1159-410: The feeding frenzy engaged in by the black vultures when they come in numbers (a behavior turkey vultures are apparently incapable of even when at a carcass in numbers), however pairs or individuals often seem to be able to peaceably share carrion with turkey vultures. However, in the tropics such as Peru, turkey vultures appeared to prevail regularly over black vultures, in 56% of cases, perhaps due to
1220-524: The ferruginous hawk . In both of these largest buteos, adults typically weigh over 1,200 g (2.6 lb), and in mature females, can exceed a mass of 2,000 g (4.4 lb). All buteos may be noted for their broad wings and sturdy builds. They frequently soar on thermals at midday over openings and are most frequently seen while doing this. The flight style varies based on the body type and wing shape and surface size. Some long-winged species, such as rough-legged buzzards and Swainson's hawks , have
1281-429: The flight feathers on the wings appear to be silvery-gray beneath, contrasting with the darker wing linings. The adult's head is small in proportion to its body and is red in color with few to no feathers. It also has a relatively short, hooked, ivory-colored beak. The irises of the eyes are gray-brown; legs and feet are pink-skinned, although typically stained white. The eye has a single incomplete row of eyelashes on
SECTION 20
#17327912116751342-458: The prairies or Great Plains . Additionally, they may adapt to tropical and subtropical forests, shrublands , deserts and semi-desert , wetlands and foothills . Evidence indicates agricultural land is key habitat for turkey vultures, mainly pastureland or other low-input farmland for foraging and roosting but they tend to only occur ephemerally as flyovers around row-crop type agriculture. Other manmade habitats can be used, with
1403-441: The roadside hawk or grey-lined hawk , reptiles and amphibians may come to locally dominate the diet. Swainson's hawk , despite its somewhat large size, is something of exceptional insect -feeding specialist and may rely almost fully on crickets and dragonflies when wintering in southern South America . Carrion is eaten occasionally by most species, but is almost always secondary to live prey. The importance of carrion in
1464-682: The New World and Old World vultures evolved from different ancestors in different parts of the world. Some earlier authorities suggested that the New World vultures were more closely related to storks . More recent authorities maintained their overall position in the order Falconiformes along with the Old World vultures or place them in their own order, Cathartiformes . However, recent genetic studies indicate that neither New World nor Old World vultures are close to falcons , nor are New World vultures close to storks. Both are basal members of
1525-966: The Old World "buzzard" species is relatively higher since these often seem slower and less active predators than their equivalents in the Americas . Most Buteo species seem to prefer to ambush prey by pouncing down to the ground directly from a perch. In a secondary approach, many spot prey from a great distance while soaring and circle down to the ground to snatch it. Buteo s are typical accipitrids in most of their breeding behaviors. They all build their own nests, which are often constructed out of sticks and other materials they can carry. Nests are generally located in trees, which are generally selected based on large sizes and inaccessibility to climbing predators rather than by species. Most Buteo s breed in stable pairs, which may mate for life or at least for several years even in migratory species in which pairs part ways during winter. Generally from 2 to 4 eggs are laid by
1586-521: The US it is illegal to take, kill, or possess turkey vultures, their eggs, and any body parts including but not limited to their feathers; violation of the law is punishable by a fine of up to $ 100,000 for individuals or $ 200,000 for organizations, and/or a prison term of 1 year. It is listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN Red List . Populations appear to remain stable, and it has not reached
1647-543: The United States, the vulture receives legal protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 . It is also known in some North American regions as a " buzzard " or "turkey buzzard" and in some areas of the Caribbean as the "John crow" or "carrion crow." The turkey vulture received its common name from the resemblance of the adult's bald red head and dark plumage to that of the male wild turkey , while
1708-561: The ability to smell carrion. It displaces the yellow-headed vultures from carcasses due to its larger size, but is displaced in turn by the king vulture and both types of condor, which make the first cut into the skin of the dead animal. This allows the smaller, weaker-billed turkey vulture access to food, because it cannot tear the tough hides of larger animals on its own. This is an example of mutual dependence between species. Black vultures tend to be more aggressive and often displace turkey vultures which appear to be intimidated especially by
1769-534: The age of 47. Nero also hatched in 1974 and was taken from his nest for research studies at the University of Wisconsin . He later became an education ambassador at Carpenter Nature Center in Hastings, Minnesota , and in 1993 he joined the education department of the University of Minnesota 's Raptor Center. He remained their only educational vulture until his death in 2022. The oldest wild captured banded bird
1830-803: The beak. It undergoes a molt in late winter to early spring. It is a gradual molt, which lasts until early autumn. The immature bird has a gray head with a black beak tip; the colors change to those of the adult as the bird matures. Captive longevity is not well known. As of 2022 , there is one captive bird over 48 years old: a male named Lord Richard that lives at the Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek, California . Lord Richard hatched in 1974 at Randall Museum in San Francisco and arrived at Lindsay Wildlife later that year. Another turkey vulture named Nero lived to
1891-404: The best chances of survival, with the younger siblings often starving or being handled aggressively (and even killed) by their older siblings. The male generally does most of the hunting and the female broods, but the male may also do some brooding while the female hunts as well. Once the fledgling stage is reached, the female takes over much of the hunting. After a stage averaging a couple of weeks,
John Crow Mountains - Misplaced Pages Continue
1952-444: The breeding season. The turkey vulture lowers its night-time body temperature by about 6 °C or 11 °F to 34 °C (93 °F), becoming slightly hypothermic . This vulture is often seen standing in a spread-winged or horaltic stance. The stance is believed to serve multiple functions: drying the wings, warming the body, and baking off bacteria. It is practiced more often following damp or rainy nights. This same behavior
2013-420: The chicks by regurgitating food for them, and care for them for 10 to 11 weeks. When adults are threatened while nesting, they may flee, or they may regurgitate on the intruder or feign death. If the chicks are threatened in the nest, they defend themselves by hissing and regurgitating. The young fledge at about nine to ten weeks. Family groups remain together until fall. The turkey vulture feeds primarily on
2074-489: The clade Afroaves , with Old World vultures comprising several groups within the family Accipitridae , also containing eagles, kites, and hawks, while New World vultures in Cathartiformes are a sister group to Accipitriformes (containing the osprey and secretarybird along with Accipitridae ). There are five subspecies of turkey vulture: A large bird, it has a wingspan of 160–183 cm (63–72 in),
2135-601: The explorer Scoresby Routledge claimed to have been the first person to have crossed the John Crow mountains, leading to an exchange of letters in The Times regarding Inspector Thomas's prior claim. The matter was settled by the Jamaican Surveyor-General, who decided that though Thomas had been the first to scale the highest peak, and explore the ridge in a north–south direction, Routledge had traversed
2196-406: The female and are mostly incubated by her, while the male mate provides food. Once the eggs hatch, the survival of the young is dependent upon how abundant appropriate food is and the security of the nesting location from potential nest predators and other (often human-induced) disturbances. As in many raptors, the nestlings hatch at intervals of a day or two and the older, strong siblings tend to have
2257-502: The few recorded predators appear to take them quite infrequently. Fledging, immature and adult vultures, in descending likelihood of predation, may fall prey to great horned owls , golden eagles , bald eagles and potentially red-tailed hawks , while eggs and nestlings may be preyed on by mammals such as raccoons and opossums . Foxes can occasionally ambush an adult, but species that can climb are more likely to breach and predate nests than adults, while dogs may sometimes kill
2318-446: The fledglings take the adults‘ increasing indifference to feeding them or occasional hostile behavior towards them as a cue to disperse on their own. Generally, young Buteo s tend to disperse several miles away from their nesting grounds and wander for one to two years until they can court a mate and establish their own breeding range. The Buteo hawks include many of the most widely distributed, most common, and best-known raptors in
2379-613: The fruits of the introduced oil palm . They rarely, if ever, kill prey themselves; when they do it tends to comprise small weak offspring or very sick individuals of various animals, such as bird eggs and nestlings, as well as reptiles. Turkey vultures have also been observed eating coyote, sea lion and domestic animal dung. The turkey vulture can often be seen along roadsides feeding on roadkill , or near bodies of water, feeding on washed-up fish. They also will feed on fish, tadpoles or insects that have become stranded in shallow water. It sometimes comes to rubbish dumps, but in general,
2440-450: The gasses produced by the early stages of decay in dead animals. In flight, it uses thermals to move through the air, flapping its wings infrequently. It roosts in large community groups. Lacking a syrinx —the vocal organ of birds—its only vocalizations are grunts or low hisses. It nests in caves, hollow trees, or thickets. Each year it generally raises two chicks, which it feeds by regurgitation . It has very few natural predators . In
2501-557: The gray flight feathers to appear silvery as they catch the light. The flight of the turkey vulture is an example of static soaring flight, in which it flaps its wings very infrequently, and takes advantage of rising thermals to stay soaring. The breeding season of the turkey vulture varies according to latitude. In the southern United States, it commences in March, peaks in April to May, and continues into June. In more northerly latitudes,
John Crow Mountains - Misplaced Pages Continue
2562-492: The heaviest and strongest species, such as ferruginous , red-tailed and white-tailed hawks . Birds are taken occasionally, as well. Small to mid-sized birds, i.e. passerines , woodpeckers , waterfowl , pigeons , and gamebirds , are most often taken. However, since the adults of most smaller birds can successfully outmaneuver and evade buteos in flight, much avian prey is taken in the nestling or fledgling stages or adult birds if they are previously injured. An exception
2623-451: The lesser known white-rumped and Ridgway's hawks are similarly small in average wingspan around 75 cm (30 in), and average length around 35 cm (14 in) in standard measurements. The largest species in length and wingspan is the upland buzzard , which averages around 65 cm (26 in) in length and 152 cm (60 in) in wingspan. The upland is rivaled in weight and outsized in foot measurements and bill size by
2684-499: The lesser yellow-headed vulture and the black vulture. The turkey vulture is gregarious and roosts in large community groups, breaking away to forage independently during the day. Several hundred vultures may roost communally in groups, which sometimes even include black vultures. It roosts often on dead, leafless trees as well as low-density conifers, and will also roost on man-made structures such as water or microwave towers. Though it nests in caves, it does not enter them except during
2745-464: The local constabulary began an attempt to reach the highest peak of the range, and in 1890 was successful, publishing an account in his book Untrodden Jamaica . He requested the then governor Sir Henry Blake to consent that they are renamed the Blake Mountains, but admits in his book the change met with opposition. The new name did not stick, and they remain the John Crow Mountains. In 1920
2806-455: The most widely distributed vulture in the Americas and rivals its cousin the black vulture as the most abundant raptorial bird worldwide. Its global population is estimated to be 18,000,000 individuals. It is found in open and semi-open areas throughout the Americas from southern Canada to Cape Horn . It is a permanent resident in the southern United States, though northern birds may migrate as far south as South America. The turkey vulture
2867-530: The name "vulture" is derived from the Latin word vulturus , meaning "tearer", and is a reference to its feeding habits. The word buzzard is used by North Americans to refer to this bird, yet in the Old World that term refers to members of the genus Buteo . The turkey vulture was first formally described by Carl Linnaeus as Vultur aura in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae , and characterised as " V. fuscogriseus, remigibus nigris, rostro albo " ("brown-gray vulture, with black wing flight feathers and
2928-579: The peak of their migration. Any of the prior mentioned common Buteo species may have total populations that exceed a million individuals. On the other hand, the Socotra buzzard and Galapagos hawks are considered vulnerable to extinction per the IUCN . The Ridgway's hawk is even more direly threatened and is considered Critically Endangered. These insular forms are threatened primarily by habitat destruction , prey reductions and poisoning. The latter reason
2989-401: The season starts later and extends into August. Courtship rituals of the turkey vulture involve several individuals gathering in a circle, where they perform hopping movements around the perimeter of the circle with wings partially spread. In the air, one bird closely follows another while flapping and diving. Eggs are generally laid in the nesting site in a protected location such as a cliff,
3050-421: The smaller size of the region's black vultures. It is further subservient to large hawks such as red-tailed hawks , Harris's hawks and Buteogallus black hawks, as well as to large falcons like peregrine falcons and crested caracaras , despite most of these birds being rather smaller in body size than a turkey vulture. Often these raptors tend to engage in dive-bombing or other intimidation displays towards
3111-541: The species regularly seen over urban areas throughout its range, though they tend to use them more when not breeding, being unable to nest without appropriate habitats, and do not occur as an urban bird nearly as routinely as do black vultures in the tropics and subtropics. This bird with its crow-like aspect gave foot to the naming of the Quebrada de los Cuervos (Crows Ravine) in Uruguay , where they dwell together with
SECTION 50
#17327912116753172-424: The talons are also not designed for grasping, as they are relatively blunt. In flight, the tail is long and slim. The black vulture is relatively shorter-tailed and shorter-winged, which makes it appear rather smaller in flight than the turkey vulture, although the body masses of the two species are roughly the same. The nostrils are not divided by a septum, but rather are perforate; from the side one can see through
3233-482: The threshold of inclusion as a threatened species, which requires a decline of more than 30 percent in 10 years or three generations. Buteo About 30, see text Asturina Buteo is a genus of medium to fairly large, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings. In the Old World, members of this genus are called " buzzards " , but " hawk " is used in the New World (Etymology: Buteo
3294-424: The upper lid and two rows on the lower lid. The two front toes of the foot are long and have small webs at their bases. Tracks are large, between 9.5 and 14 cm (3.7 and 5.5 in) in length and 8.2 and 10.2 cm (3.2 and 4.0 in) in width, both measurements including claw marks. Toes are arranged in the classic, anisodactyl pattern. The feet are flat, relatively weak, and poorly adapted to grasping;
3355-438: The valley and further range beyond: so he had first "actually crossed them from west to east". Turkey vulture Vultur aura Linnaeus, 1758 The turkey vulture ( Cathartes aura ) is the most widespread of the New World vultures . One of three species in the genus Cathartes of the family Cathartidae , the turkey vulture ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America. It inhabits
3416-535: The vulture(s) to displace them from carrion or from perch sites. Presumably all sympatric eagles are also dominant, with bald eagles confirmed to easily dominate turkey vultures in Florida. However, in the tropics Swainson's hawks and yellow-headed caracara (as well as lesser yellow-headed vultures) appear to be subservient to turkey vultures. Furthermore, turkey vultures are dominant over crows at carrion, but not over common ravens . The turkey vulture
3477-427: The wild ranges upward of 16 years, with a captive life span of over 45 years being possible. The turkey vulture is awkward on the ground with an ungainly, hopping walk. It requires a great deal of effort to take flight, flapping its wings while pushing off the ground and hopping with its feet. While soaring, the turkey vulture holds its wings in a shallow V-shape and often tips from side to side, frequently causing
3538-777: The wild. In captivity, it can be fed fresh meat, and younger birds will gorge themselves if given the opportunity. The turkey vulture species receives special legal protections under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 in the United States , by the Convention for the Protection of Migratory Birds in Canada , and by the Convention for the Protection of Migratory Birds and Game Mammals in Mexico . In
3599-707: The world are somewhere preyed upon by Buteo species. Since many rodents are primarily nocturnal, most buteos mainly hunt rodents that may be partially active during the day, which can include squirrels and chipmunks , voles , and gerbils . More nocturnal varieties are hunted opportunistically and may be caught in the first or last few hours of light. Other smallish mammals, such as shrews , moles , pikas , bats , and weasels , tend to be minor secondary prey, although can locally be significant for individual species. Larger mammals, such as rabbits , hares , and marmots , including even adult specimens weighing as much as 2 to 3 kg (4.4 to 6.6 lb), may be hunted by
3660-440: The world. Examples include the red-tailed hawk of North America and the common buzzard of Eurasia . Most Northern Hemisphere species are at least partially migratory. In North America , species such as broad-winged hawks and Swainson's hawks are known for their huge numbers (often called "kettles") while passing over major migratory flyways in the fall. Up to tens of thousands of these Buteo s can be seen each day during
3721-400: Was 16 years old. Leucistic (sometimes mistakenly called " albino ") turkey vultures are sometimes seen. Like most other vultures, the turkey vulture has very few vocalization capabilities. Because it lacks a syrinx , it can only utter hisses and grunts. The turkey vulture has a large range, with an estimated global occurrence of 28,000,000 km (11,000,000 sq mi). It is
SECTION 60
#1732791211675#674325