This picture of two baby Turkey Vultures in the nest was taken by Lois Rockhill who discovered the nest. Lois is an avid birder and one day noticed a strange "motor" noise coming from inside a hollow tree. She couldn't see inside the tree, but was able to reach an opening with her cell phone camera with which she took this picture. Her approach frightened the vultures who responded by regurgitating their most recent meal of carrion. Lois described the result by saying "Wow! Did we have a stink!" This is probably a defense mechanism employed by baby vultures.
We investigated a few days later. The tree is on a very steep hillside and well hidden by undergrowth. In the picture above both juveniles have emerged from the hollow. One is in the opening while the other is above it.
In the photo below, the smaller bird has retreated into the hollow while the other is holding its ground. The entrance is the stub of a broken branch. Both this branch and the main trunk are hollow.
The juveniles at this stage are called "branchers." While they are as large as the adults, they still have some down and are unable to fly. However, they will move out of the nest and move about the trees using their beaks and feet.
