Why it's awesome: These scavenger birds have an unexpected way of keeping predators away — by projectile vomiting stomach acid and semi-digested meat at their attackers. Turkey vultures live in a ...

Vultures are often vilified simply because of how they look. They are seen as unclean and unnecessary creatures, which has led to mass poisoning in the past. However, most vultures help clean up the ...

One red vulture in Virginia perched on a tree branchOne red vulture in Virginia perched on a tree branch(Getty Images/iStockphoto/ablokhin) They’re big, heavy ...

Every summer and early fall, Mary Larson Bishop begins scanning the skies over her Sierra Foothills home outside Fresno, California. Bishop, who's 85, keeps track of when the big dark-brown birds with ...

With summer just around the corner, I would like to highlight one of my favorite birds — the turkey vulture. For me, they conjure up hot summer days as I watch them ride and circle in the updrafts.