The Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), also sometimes referred to as the turkey buzzard, John crow, or carrion crow (despite not being a buzzard nor crow), is a species of New World vulture of the family Cathartidae. Its range extends from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America, making it the most widespread member of its family. It inhabits 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. The two groups strongly resemble each other as they've both adapted to have similar lifestyles. The taxonomic placement of the turkey vulture and the remaining six species of New World vultures has been disputed for many years. Some earlier authorities suggested that they were more closely related to storks than to raptors due to behavioral similarities. They are currently either placed in the order Accipitriformes with the other birds-of-prey (excluding falcons and owls), or in their own distinct order Cathartiformes as the sister group to Accipitriformes.
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 the gasses produced by the decaying of dead animals. In flight, it uses thermals to move through the air and rarely has to flap its wings. It roosts in large community groups. Lacking the vocal organ of most other birds (called the syrinx), its only forms of communication comprise of grunts or low hisses. It raises one or two chicks per year, and nests in caves, hollow trees, or thickets.