Turkey Vulture

Shifting through trash on a cold November day near Westcliffe, CO, is where this vulture was found as a cold, starving juvenile. At some point in her young life, Izzy had suffered multiple fractures to her left wrist. The area healed poorly on its own. Unfortunately for Izzy, the damaged area froze on a particularly cold night. Because of the frostbite damage, Izzy lost her wingtip and lost her ability to fly. Left behind when the other vultures migrated south for the winter, she set off on foot in search of food and a warmer climate. Then, happily, Izzy joined our staff in 2011! She now lives at the NWDC Raptor Center with our other raptor ambassadors.