Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Post Cranial Skeleton

All pictures are taken in the field, and all bones were replaced after. None were collected.

An overview of some skeletal elements
Mandible is about 10 cm long and I have more pictures of it in the associated observation.

I am insanely grateful for this find.
I have a pretty difficult time finding a consolidated and comprehensive resource for turkey vulture post cranial bones, so I'm relieved to have a lot of skeletal elements all in one place.
When I first stumbled across these bones I was sort of in disbelief. I didn't know what they were, but I knew it was going to be special. In my original observation I document more of my journey figuring out what it is, and I really was elated when I pieced it together. I always fear sounding a bit insensitive or macabre when I document my joy at finding a skeleton, but I feel less of a need to explain myself with a vulture. I do love these animals in life deeply, and I don't wish for them to die, but I can be appreciative of what I learn after their deaths. And vultures specialize in appreciating the dead.

Humerus
About 14.5 cm
I never realized just how much pneumatization turkey vulture skeletons have, and I assume other vultures as well. It makes sense though, with how high and long they fly, they need as much air as they can get, and birds can store air in their bones.

Ulna
For fun, the bird's ulna against my ulna/forearm.

More serious now. Ulna measures about 16.5 cm in length.



Visible and pronounced quill knobs.

Radius
About 15.5 cm

Carpometacarpus
About 8 cm
Very impressive pneumatization here as well.

Coracoid
About 7 cm
This was very enlightening, I find myself having coracoid problems identifying on here. They are such a unique bone but I just don't excel at differentiating them. This has such a huge "mouth", I think it might of solved at least one observation I've been sitting on. Now just to find it again...


Below shows that huge "mouth"

Wishbone
About 5.5 cm. Not sure why I didn't get good pictures of this when I revisited, or maybe I just lost them. Again, displays impressive pneumatization.

Keel, none of the rest of the sternum

Rib
About 5.5 cm

Vertebra
I like how thin and sharp the processes are. In general, very slender and sleek in shape.

Pelvis
About 10 cm
These are pictures from the original observation because when I went back to take these pictures, I could not for the life of me find the pelvis. I do have turkey vulture pelvis references (see below), so this wasn't a huge loss, other than the fact the pelvis is my favorite skeletal element in birds and I was already facing a comedy of errors. I will just have to include these slightly worse looking pictures in interest of having a more comprehensive turkey vulture bone reference.

Femur
Femur, about 9 cm. Couldn't find this one again when I revisited.

Tibiotarsus
About 15 cm.

Tarsometatarsus
About 8.5 cm

I put all of the bones back into the fenced off area.

Extra turkey vulture skeleton resources:
BoneId has the tarsometatarsus, humerus, carpometacarpus, skull, tibiotarsus, femur, sternum, and coracoid.
http://www.boneid.net/search/?product_cat=turkey-vulture&order=DESC

The Smithsonian has the skull and sternum
https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/search/birds/?ark=ark:/65665/31494451fead240a9a8d04d0389aefbdd

Osteology of birds, Robert Wilson Shufeldt, has much of the post cranial torso, articulated and lacking limb bones. Great pelvis reference though.
https://imgur.com/sd1wwCs
https://imgur.com/kfOhIKb

A random twitter post of some turkey vulture bones- vertebra, wishbone, femur, pelvis, two tarsometatarsus, a carpometacarpus and tibiotarsus.
https://i.imgur.com/4IileCC.png

Skullsite of course has the skull
https://skullsite.com/skullpage/cathartes-aura-turkey-vulture/

And Digimorph as a turkey vulture skull erroneously labeled black vulture. I asked them to fix it, they didn't, oh well.
https://digimorph.org/specimens/Coragyps_atratus/

Posted on February 8, 2024 09:35 PM by lizardking