Saturday, June 30, 2007

Rare White Turkey Vulture Arrival








Every so often in the history of our center, we are presented with an unusual patient that presents us with an opportunity to document the existence of rarely seen wildlife in South Florida. This also presents us with a learning experience and a chance to educate others about the curve ball mother nature sometimes throws at us when we think we've seen it all.



In South Florida, Turkey Vultures abound in large numbers mainly in late August through roughly February as we are a common stop and sometimes a final destination on their yearly migration south from the northerly climates. This time of year their sightings are few and far between, but a small population does call South Florida their home. Among this small population a rarity occurs sometimes when two individuals carrying a recessive gene that represents the lack of color (white) get together and breed. This individual is not an albino per se, you can certainly see the mixture of pigment within the feathers and the lack of pink eyes.




It is not a certainty that this individual was hatched in South Florida. It is entirely possible that it was hatched elsewhere and migrated along with the rest of the population and just decided to stay. No one can say for sure, and there is a lack of research regarding the white vulture, although this is not the first sighting of one. The others in our area, like this one have been sighted only in the Florida Keys. Sightings are few and far between and offer little or no opportunities to study this phenomenon.



Photo courtesy of Florida Keys Wild Bird Center Tavernier, FL



It is a commonly accepted observation that the coloration of other species found in the Florida Keys tend to be on the pale, whiter side. There is an abundance of great white herons rarely seen on the mainland, red-shouldered hawks are markedly paler, and the Keys raccoons are significantly blonder in comparison to their Miami counterparts. Could this be a snapshot of an adaptation evolving to the highly reflective environment of the Florida Keys and the lack of trees and camouflage? It will certainly be worth noting in the years to come whether or not this trend continues. In the meantime, we will concentrate our efforts on making sure our unusual visitor receives the best care possible. Ironically enough, the presenting complaint is that the feathers are in very poor condition and a preen gland infection. We hope to resolve these problems and look forward to banding this individual for future study.