Turkey Vulture

My latin word is Cathartes aura which means Turkey Vulture, as it's appearance has a similar look to a turkey. The reason for the vulture's bald head is because it sticks its head inside the carcass to reach the meat so a feathery head will leave unwanted pieces in a meal.

Turkey vultures fly with their wings in a dihedral (V-shape) and can soar at high altitudes for hours without the need to constantly flap their wings.

They do not feed on live prey, instead they are seen on road sides cleaning up road kill or rivers feasting on washed up fish. This species also enjoys plant matter such as shoreline vegatation, pumpkin and other crops.

I produced a page of detailed sketches of the Turkey Vulture and tried to capture the grotesque appearance. I prefer the biro sketch as the style of shading captured the cluttered feathers. The sketch of the head above it looks evil, menacing. I am excited about this choice of animal because there is a lot of potiential for a hybrid, I will take some inspiration from 'The Fly' as it also had a horrific appearance of a feared creature.