Baby turkey vultures: from egg to fledgling
A Turkey Vulture lays 1–3 eggs. They hatch after 28–40 days, and the young leave the nest 60–84 days later — about 88–124 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 1–3 eggs
- Incubation
- 28–40 days
- Time in the nest
- 60–84 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 88–124 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
- Nest
- No nest built — eggs laid in a cave, hollow log or old building
- Uses nest boxes
- No
Stage by stage
- Eggs (28–40 days): 1–3 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (60–84 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season turkey vultures mainly eat carrion of all kinds.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young turkey vultures are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: 1 per season.
When turkey vultures nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in Alabama (Feb) and latest in Alberta (Apr). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Feb–Jun |
| Alberta | Apr–Jun |
| Arizona | Feb–Jun |
| Arkansas | Mar–Jun |
| British Columbia | Apr–Jun |
| California | Feb–Jun |
| Colorado | Mar–Jun |
| Connecticut | Mar–Jun |
| Delaware | Mar–Jun |
| Florida | Feb–Jun |
| Georgia | Feb–Jun |
| Idaho | Mar–Jun |
| Illinois | Mar–Jun |
| Indiana | Mar–Jun |
| Iowa | Mar–Jun |
| Kansas | Mar–Jun |
| Kentucky | Mar–Jun |
| Louisiana | Feb–Jun |
| Maine | Apr–Jun |
| Manitoba | Apr–Jun |
| Maryland | Mar–Jun |
| Massachusetts | Mar–Jun |
| Michigan | Mar–Jun |
| Minnesota | Apr–Jun |
| Mississippi | Feb–Jun |
| Missouri | Mar–Jun |
| Montana | Apr–Jun |
| Nebraska | Mar–Jun |
| Nevada | Mar–Jun |
| New Brunswick | Apr–Jun |
| New Hampshire | Apr–Jun |
| New Jersey | Mar–Jun |
| New Mexico | Mar–Jun |
| New York | Mar–Jun |
| North Carolina | Mar–Jun |
| North Dakota | Apr–Jun |
| Nova Scotia | Apr–Jun |
| Ohio | Mar–Jun |
| Oklahoma | Mar–Jun |
| Ontario | Apr–Jun |
| Oregon | Mar–Jun |
| Pennsylvania | Mar–Jun |
| Quebec | Apr–Jun |
| Rhode Island | Mar–Jun |
| Saskatchewan | Apr–Jun |
| South Carolina | Feb–Jun |
| South Dakota | Mar–Jun |
| Tennessee | Mar–Jun |
| Texas | Feb–Jun |
| Utah | Mar–Jun |
| Vermont | Apr–Jun |
| Virginia | Mar–Jun |
| Washington | Mar–Jun |
| West Virginia | Mar–Jun |
| Wisconsin | Apr–Jun |
| Wyoming | Apr–Jun |
Found a baby Turkey Vulture?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about turkey vultures
Frequently asked
How long do baby turkey vultures stay in the nest?
About 60–84 days after hatching. Eggs take 28–40 days to hatch, so it is roughly 88–124 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Turkey Vulture lay?
1–3 eggs per clutch, with 1 per season.
Where do turkey vultures nest?
No nest built — eggs laid in a cave, hollow log or old building.
What should I do if I find a baby Turkey Vulture on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.