Unusual Bathing Habits of the Turkey Vulture
Unusual Bathing Habits of the Turkey Vulture.-On September 12, 1964, I was hiking in Walnut Canyon National Monument, eight miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona. A flock of 14 Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) were seen flying overhead and perching in nearby ponderosa pine approximately one-fourth mile due south of the Walnut Canyon Visitor Center. There had been numerous thunder showers throughout the afternoon and as the rain again began to fall, the vultures settled in dead snags. Soon other vultures were flying from the protection of the living trees into more open areas. Birds silhouetted against the sky were observed to spread their wings and manipulate the primary and secondary feathers allowing them to be washed by the rain. This accomplished, they ruffled their body feathers and turned into the wind, allowing the water to run off their body. The birds then shook themselves and flapped their wings. With their feathers properly arranged, they returned to the shelter of the pines and continued to preen themselves. The bathing occupied a period of about 45 minutes.-MIKE MCKELVEY, Arizona State College, Flagstaff, Arizona, October 8, 1964.
