Oh! You pretty things...

Not everyone's cup of tea granted. Vultures do, nonetheless, hold a special place in my heart. The worrying thing is I'm not quite sure why...


The totally strange and wonderful head of a King Vulture complete with mad, staring eye, crinkly skin and ultra wobbly orange dangly bits - what a delightful mess! This video was taken in a special vulture enclosure at Chaparri in NW Peru. The folks here have a program of rehabilitating and releasing back into the wild damaged and abandoned vultures.


Same bird at a different angle showing the remarkably ornate head pattern. I love the fleshy carunculated bits - but then again doesn't everyone...


Am immature Andean Condor, again in the vulture enclosure at Chaparri. Eventually this bird will be released into the wild. Immature condors are rather drab when compared with the adult version, and especially so when sitting next to an adult King Vulture. However, they more than make up for this visual deficiency with their sheer size - they are amazingly large! Alarmingly so when only a couple of feet above you!!


A Black Vulture sitting menacingly outside the hide which overlooks the vulture enclosure and feeding station at Chaparri. Common as anything Black Vultures rarely attract much attention, unless, of course, one happens to be in Southern Ontario!


A soaring Turkey Vulture. Usually abundant where they occur they are nethertheless attractive in their own peculiar way.