The Turkey Vulture is another common new world vulture although it is not as numerous as its cousin the Black Vulture with which they are often found. However, by using its amazingly sensitive sense of smell the Turkey Vulture is commonly the first to arrive at a carcass. This is advantageous for the Turkey Vulture as it is a shy bird which will quickly give way to large numbers of Black Vultures which rapidly gather at such a food site. However, the Turkey Vulture may actually be dependent upon the Black Vulture to open up a fresh carcass as its bill is not as strong as that of the Black Vulture. In fact the Turkey Vulture is a bird that is not equipped to kill, its rear talon is insufficient to seize and kill prey and studies have shown that a large proportion their diet actually consists of vegetation.

Turkey Vultures are intelligent birds living in communal roosts which assist each other in finding food as well as bathing and playing together. They are also exceptionally clean and it is thought that the digestive system of the Turkey Vulture is able to kill off any virus or bacteria present in the food that it consumes. Its faeces and pellets are completely clean and have been shown as carrying no disease whatsoever.