{"id":68295,"date":"2020-04-11T05:44:14","date_gmt":"2020-04-11T11:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=68295"},"modified":"2024-07-08T04:45:39","modified_gmt":"2024-07-08T09:45:39","slug":"thermoregulating-turkey-vulture-close-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/04\/11\/thermoregulating-turkey-vulture-close-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Thermoregulating Turkey Vulture Close Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TurkeyTurkey Vulture thermoregulating close up – Nikon\u00a0 D500, f7.1, 1\/320, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Mornings have still been fairly chilly here in northern Utah and the Turkey Vultures that recently arrived on spring migration have been taking advantage of the rising sun by thermoregulating<\/span><\/a> to help chase off the chill.<\/p>\n

A few days ago I photographed four Turkey Vultures in two different locations and all four of the vultures extended their wings with their backs to the sun to warm up. This posture is also called the “horaltic pose”.<\/p>\n

The first two Turkey Vultures that I photographed were on old wooden fence posts and the second two were on a gate to a ranch.<\/p>\n

When I spotted the first two Turkey Vultures they were simply perched on the wooden fence posts where they may have roosted overnight. After a few minutes the vulture on the highest post raised its wings and assumed the thermoregulating posture or horaltic pose. It didn’t take long for the vulture on the lower post to assume the position as well.<\/p>\n

The Turkey Vultures were close enough to the road that I had to take my 1.4x teleconverter off to fit the whole birds into the frame while they had their wings extended but I also wanted close ups so I took images of both vultures with the teleconverter on as well. Most of the time I focused on the vulture on the higher perch because the light angle on it was nicer.<\/p>\n

I like how my close up photos of this thermoregulating Turkey Vulture showed the fine details in the plumage of the vulture and the color variations in the feathers too.<\/p>\n

I have many more photos of the vultures to go through so I expect they will be seen here before too much time passes.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good. Stay safe.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to view more of my Turkey Vulture photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mornings have still been fairly chilly here in northern Utah and the Turkey Vultures that recently arrived on spring migration have been taking advantage of the rising sun by thermoregulating to help chase off the chill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":130338,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1148,1315,26],"tags":[4004,4226,2663,4322,4142,5958,9612,4046,6883,153,9617,2817,4057,165,5387,9613,2443,4618,4617,9615,9614,9616],"class_list":["post-68295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-turkey-vultures","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-behavior","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-cathartes-aura","tag-close-up","tag-fence-posts","tag-horaltic-pose","tag-portrait","tag-posture","tag-raptors","tag-roosted","tag-sage","tag-sagebrush","tag-spring","tag-thermoregulating","tag-thermoregulating-posture","tag-turkey-vulture","tag-vulture","tag-vultures","tag-warm-up","tag-wings-extended","tag-wooden-posts"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/turkey-vulture-thermoregulating-close-up-right-mia-mcpherson-2262.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-hLx","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":70255,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/05\/26\/adult-turkey-vultures-thermoregulating\/","url_meta":{"origin":68295,"position":0},"title":"Adult Turkey Vultures Thermoregulating","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 26, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"In April there was a bright, sunny morning when I had several opportunities to photograph adult Turkey Vultures warming up after a chilly night by thermoregulating.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Close up of an adult Turkey Vulture thermoregulating in Box Elder County, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/turkey-vulture-thermoregulating-close-up-left-mia-mcpherson-2298.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/turkey-vulture-thermoregulating-close-up-left-mia-mcpherson-2298.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/turkey-vulture-thermoregulating-close-up-left-mia-mcpherson-2298.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/turkey-vulture-thermoregulating-close-up-left-mia-mcpherson-2298.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46813,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/05\/17\/turkey-vultures-feathered-gatekeepers\/","url_meta":{"origin":68295,"position":1},"title":"Turkey Vultures – Feathered Gatekeepers","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 17, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Normally I prefer natural perches for my subjects but I rather enjoyed photographing these Turkey Vultures and thinking of them as feathered gatekeepers.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Turkey Vulture preening a single feather, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vulture-preening-mia-mcpherson-0316.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vulture-preening-mia-mcpherson-0316.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vulture-preening-mia-mcpherson-0316.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vulture-preening-mia-mcpherson-0316.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48330,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/09\/02\/international-vulture-awareness-day-2017\/","url_meta":{"origin":68295,"position":2},"title":"International Vulture Awareness Day 2017","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 2, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Vultures are fascinating birds and they are great for the environments around the globe that they are found in, we need to do more to help them today and every day.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Thermoregulating adult Turkey Vulture, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/turkey-vulture-thermoregulation-mia-mcpherson-2716.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/turkey-vulture-thermoregulation-mia-mcpherson-2716.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/turkey-vulture-thermoregulation-mia-mcpherson-2716.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/turkey-vulture-thermoregulation-mia-mcpherson-2716.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":41671,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/09\/03\/international-vulture-awareness-day-2016\/","url_meta":{"origin":68295,"position":3},"title":"International Vulture Awareness Day 2016","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 3, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Vultures and condors are scavengers and help to clean up the environment by consuming carrion, road kill and gut piles left from the kills of human and non-human hunters.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Turkey Vulture thermoregulating in a field","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vultures-thermoregulating-mia-mpcherson-2398.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vultures-thermoregulating-mia-mpcherson-2398.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vultures-thermoregulating-mia-mpcherson-2398.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vultures-thermoregulating-mia-mpcherson-2398.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":56502,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/03\/09\/migrating-turkey-vultures-are-on-the-wing\/","url_meta":{"origin":68295,"position":4},"title":"Migrating Turkey Vultures Are On The Wing","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 9, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I miss seeing and photographing Turkey Vultures during the winter and now I am excited that very soon I'll be seeing them roosting on fence posts, rocky outcroppings, cattle gates, trees, corrals and the ground, riding the thermals, thermoregulating and scarfing up road kill all over the place!","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Turkey Vulture flying low over sagebrush, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vulture-flight-sagebrush-mia-mcpherson-5371.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vulture-flight-sagebrush-mia-mcpherson-5371.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vulture-flight-sagebrush-mia-mcpherson-5371.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vulture-flight-sagebrush-mia-mcpherson-5371.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":41342,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/08\/26\/golden-eagle-turkey-vultures-plus-a-covey-of-gray-partridges\/","url_meta":{"origin":68295,"position":5},"title":"Golden Eagle, Turkey Vultures Plus a Covey of Gray Partridges","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 26, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I spent time in northern Utah yesterday and I was able to photograph a juvenile Golden Eagle, Turkey Vultures plus a covey of Gray Partridges.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Gray Partridge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gray-partridge-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-3166.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gray-partridge-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-3166.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gray-partridge-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-3166.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gray-partridge-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-3166.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68295"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68295\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}