iN PHOTOS: Thompson-Okanagan home to strange looking turkey vultures

Turkey vultures can be spotted in the Thompson-Okanagan region between April and September and local photographers have been capturing amazing images of the weird looking birds. With their bald, red heads the birds have a strange appearance but some of their behaviours are arguably stranger. Turkey vultures urinate on themselves to keep cool, feed on dead animals and vomit to escape from predators, according to Bird Advisors. https://www.birdadvisors.com/vultures-british-columbia/#:~:text=Turkey%20Vultures%20can%20be%20found%20in%20British%20Columbia,around%20all%20year.%20Turkey%20Vultures%20are%20aptly%20named. Found in open and semi-open areas close to woodlands, the menacing looking birds can detect odours of decaying animals from great distances. They use their powerful beaks to tear and rip apart carrion, washed up fish and roadkill. The birds have a strong stomach acid that allows them to eat the bacteria-laden carcasses without being harmed, helping clean the environment.  When the vultures are threatened by a predator, they vomit to make a distraction and fly away, and sometimes will pretend to be dead. Other interesting facts about the birds is they don’t have vocal organs so can only make hissing and grunting sounds, and they don’t make nests rather they lay eggs on the ground in sheltered areas. Do you have awesome nature photographs you want to share? Send them to news@infonews.ca mailto:news@infonews.ca . To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie mailto:sainslie@infonews.ca  or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .