Aura
- Species - turkey vulture
- Scientific name - Cathartes aura
- Hatch year - 2022
- Sex - female
- Weight - 3.5 lbs
- Origin - Glen Helen, Ohio
- Unreleasable due to 1) metabolic bone disease as a result of being fed an inappropriate diet by people as a nestling and 2) behavioral abnormality - human imprint
- Flighted - Partially
Aura was hatched in 2022 and was found on the floor of a barn in Ohio. It’s common to find these birds on the ground since turkey vultures are ground nesters, but the people who found Aura believed she needed help.
She was taken from her nest and fed an inappropriate diet. Raptors need all the different vitamins and nutrients that are found in the bones, skin, and organs of the animals they eat. Because of her improper diet, Aura developed metabolic bone disease. This stunted her growth and made her bones brittle, prone to breaking and curving as they grew. She also became acclimated to living around people, which is why she now lives at our facility.
Aura gets her name from the scientific name of her species, Cathartes aura. Turkey vultures are a common raptor to see in Minnesota, but not during the winter months since they migrate. We install plexiglass panels in her mew during the winter to help keep her warm, and she has radiant heat panels on one wall. Other raptors, such as bald eagles or great horned owls, can be seen year-round in Minnesota and do not require supplemental heat.
