IUCN 08/09/2018 – Least Concern (LC)

U.S. and Canada Conservation Status: Critically imperiled in 1/66 states and provinces (IN). Imperiled in 3/66 states and provinces (AB, NS, RI). Vulnerable in 1/66 states and provinces. Apparently secure in 24/66 states and provinces. Secure in 26/65 states and provinces.

The data used in this figure are listed above. These data were compiled from NatureServe and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Not listed

North and South America, expanding range north in recent decades. Breeds as far northwest as Northern British Columbia and Ontario and Quebec in the East. Found year-round from Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Texas, and California south to the southernmost tip of South America, Tierra del Fuego, and the Falkland Islands.

Varied, including mixed farmland and forest. Nests in forested or partly forested areas with nest sites such as rock outcrops, fallen trees, abandoned buildings.

These maps summarize the latest RPI trend analyses for count sites throughout North America.

CBC: Steady increases survey-wide from 2009 to 2019 except for Connecticut. Over-all increases observed since survey start in the 1970s.

BBS: Steady increases survey-wide since the 1980s. High credibility.

Well adapted to humans. Shooting, trapping, poisoning, environmental contaminants such as lead, insecticides, and mercury, vehicle, and aircraft collisions (Kirk and Mossman 2020).

References

Bednarz, J. C., D. Klem Jr., L. J. Goodrich, and S. E. Senner. (1990). Migration Counts Of Raptors At Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania, As Indicators Of Population Trends, 1934-1986. The Auk, 107, 96–107.

Farmer, C. J., and D. J. Hussell. (2008). The raptor population index in practice. State of North America’s birds of prey. Series in Ornithology, (3), 165-178.

Farmer, C. J., and J. P. Smith. (2010). Seasonal differences in migration counts of raptors: Utility of spring counts for Population Monitoring. Journal of Raptor Research, 44(2), 101–112. https://doi.org/10.3356/jrr-09-31.1

Fink, D., T. Auer, A. Johnston, M. Strimas-Mackey, O. Robinson, S. Ligocki, W. Hochachka, L. Jaromczyk, C. Wood, I. Davies, M. Iliff, and L. Seitz. (2021). eBird Status and Trends, Data Version: 2020; Released: 2021. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. https://doi.org/10.2173/ebirdst.2020

Kirk, D. A. and M. J. Mossman (2020). Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (A. F. Poole and F. B. Gill, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.turvul.01

Master, L., D. Faber-Langendoen, R. Bittman, G. A. Hammerson, B. Heidel, L. Ramsay, K. Snow, A. Teucher, and A. Tomaino. (2012). NatureServe conservation status assessments: Factors for evaluating species and ecosystem risk. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.

Meehan, T.D., G.S. LeBaron, K. Dale, A. Krump, N.L. Michel, and C.B. Wilsey. (2020). Abundance trends of birds wintering in the USA and Canada, from Audubon Christmas Bird Counts, 1966-2019, version 3.0. National Audubon Society, New York, New York, USA.

USFWS. 2014. Species Status Assessment for Species Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2021. Birds of Conservation Concern 2021. United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Birds, Falls Church, Virginia. http://www.fws.gov/birds/management/ managed-species/birds-of-conservation-concern.php

Partners in Flight, Vanishing Habitats. https://partnersinflight.org/vanishing-habitats/

Learn more about this species natural history at All About Birds or at Hawk Mountain’s website.