One of the things we learned at the birds of prey center yesterday is that turkey vultures are one of the only raptors to make significant use of their sense of smell to find food, which would be dead and rotting carrion in their case. Today while enjoying some sunny weather in the volcanic Jump Creek canyon in the Owyhee mountains, we also experienced the occasional stinky fart (who me?). Nothing too unusual, and with a mild breeze blowing they were soon carried away. Then we noticed that shortly after each one a turkey vulture would swoop overhead, and we made the connection. What do you call farts reminiscent of a rotten carcass? Vulture calls!

We experiment with calling vultures from different positions around the canyon.

Descent toward the canyon

Falls Trailhead

Jump Creek Falls

Ann over/under falls

Canyon below

Canyon landscape