38 
farmers' bulletin 155 . 
black in color, but the naked skin of the head and neck and the base of the bill are 
bright red. 1 
Buzzards nest on the ground under brush piles, bushes, or palmettos, or in hollow 
logs or rock crevices. They roost usually on dead branches, and sometimes, especially 
in winter, congregate in large numbers. 
All vultures specialize in feeding on carrion. While under natural conditions the 
number of dead animals available for them is somewhat limited, yet, where the human 
population is considera¬ 
ble and sanitary condi¬ 
tions not over good, there 
is much work forbuzzards, 
and they fill an important 
place. For nearly three 
centuries their work has 
been appreciated at its 
full value in the South, 
and these birds have been 
scrupulously protected. 
The turkey buzzard 
now is threatened with 
persecution in the land 
where heretofore it has 
received the most zealous 
protection, for the bird has 
been accused of spreading 
such diseases of live stock 
as hog cholera and an¬ 
thrax. The charge that 
it spreads hog cholera has 
never been demonstrated, 
and until this is done 
j udgment should be sus¬ 
pended. Its relation to 
anthrax has been inves¬ 
tigated with the result 
that in the distribution 
of the disease the bird 
must be considered a 
minor agency as com¬ 
pared with man and va¬ 
rious domestic and cer¬ 
tain wild animals. 
The nature of their food 
would indicate that buz¬ 
zards have strong diges¬ 
tive powers. The spores 
of anthrax, or charbon, a 
virulent stock disease, have been shown by two independent investigations to be 
destroyed by passing through the alimentary canals of buzzards. Anthrax spores are 
not destroyed in the digestive tracts of other carrion-feeding animals, as the dog, cat, 
hog, chicken, or opossum. 
Fig. 20.—Turkey buzzard. 
B2160-36 
Length, about 30 inches. 
i The black vulture ( Catharista urubu), more abundant near the seacoast and more southern in distribu¬ 
tion than the turkey buzzard, differs from the latter in having the head and neck black, and the under 
surface of the wings silvery. The flight of this vulture is more labored, and accompanied by more flapping 
of the wings. In general habits the two birds are alike. 
