Turkey Vulture
Turkey Vulture has surged: up 207% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Turkey Vulture
A wide-ranging scavenger that rocks on uplifted wings as it soars, the Turkey Vulture finds carrion partly by its rare, well-developed sense of smell.
- Size
- 24.5–32 in long, about 3.1 lb (62–81 cm, 1.4 kg)
- Habitat
- Open country, woodlands, cliffs and wetlands, hunting from the air or a high perch.
- Diet
- Carrion of all kinds, located by sight and smell.
- Range
- Recorded on 3,670 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 48 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Cathartidae · Birds of prey
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Notable Turkey Vulture Trends
Turkey Vulture has surged in surveyed states: up 207% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
Turkey Vulture Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Turkey Vulture is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 5.5 (95% range 4.8–6.1). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±7.9%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.2 | 4.6 | 5.9 |
| 2026 | 5.3 | 4.6 | 5.9 |
| 2027 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 6.0 |
| 2028 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 6.1 |
| 2029 | 5.5 | 4.8 | 6.1 |
Where the Turkey Vulture Is Detected
BBS routes recording Turkey Vulture, sized by most recent count.
Turkey Vulture Population Trend by State
| Alabama | +475% | 1968 | 105 |
| Arizona | +58% | 1970 | 83 |
| Arkansas | -24% | 1969 | 54 |
| California | +85% | 1970 | 229 |
| Colorado | +359% | 1971 | 117 |
| Connecticut | +426% | 1973 | 19 |
| Delaware | +560% | 1968 | 17 |
| Florida | +4% | 1968 | 125 |
| Georgia | +619% | 1968 | 110 |
| Idaho | +104% | 1975 | 44 |
| Illinois | 52× | 1972 | 102 |
| Indiana | 16× | 1968 | 66 |
| Iowa | 14× | 1969 | 35 |
| Kansas | +817% | 1969 | 66 |
| Kentucky | +293% | 1968 | 61 |
| Louisiana | +181% | 1969 | 93 |
| Maine | +632% | 1983 | 37 |
| Maryland | +392% | 1968 | 74 |
| Massachusetts | +530% | 1973 | 26 |
| Michigan | 13× | 1968 | 96 |
| Minnesota | +316% | 1975 | 77 |
| Mississippi | +451% | 1968 | 70 |
| Missouri | +684% | 1969 | 93 |
| Montana | +105% | 1978 | 72 |
| Nebraska | 57× | 1974 | 66 |
| Nevada | +362% | 1970 | 43 |
| New Hampshire | +625% | 1984 | 23 |
| New Jersey | +119% | 1968 | 40 |
| New Mexico | +29% | 1970 | 81 |
| New York | 17× | 1968 | 108 |
| North Carolina | +905% | 1968 | 103 |
| North Dakota | +149% | 1987 | 20 |
| Ohio | +739% | 1968 | 88 |
| Oklahoma | +171% | 1969 | 71 |
| Oregon | +84% | 1970 | 125 |
| Pennsylvania | +337% | 1968 | 135 |
| Rhode Island | +274% | 1992 | 3 |
| South Carolina | +528% | 1968 | 48 |
| South Dakota | +56% | 1974 | 48 |
| Tennessee | +354% | 1968 | 51 |
| Texas | +12% | 1969 | 243 |
| Utah | +422% | 1970 | 88 |
| Vermont | +492% | 1980 | 24 |
| Virginia | +287% | 1968 | 87 |
| Washington | +29% | 1970 | 63 |
| West Virginia | +376% | 1968 | 61 |
| Wisconsin | 60× | 1969 | 94 |
| Wyoming | +322% | 1978 | 86 |
Turkey Vulture Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Turkey Vulture Conservation Status
Least Concern
The IUCN Red List rates this species as Least Concern. Our route-weighted index shows it up about 207% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.