Crossword answer · 14 letters
Turkey vultures definition and meaning
TUR-kee VUL-churz · plural noun
What does Turkey vultures mean?
Turkey vultures are scavenging birds of the species Cathartes aura. Adults have bare red heads; juveniles have darker heads.
What does TURKEYVULTURES mean in a crossword?
A red-headed carrion eater points to the adult turkey vulture rather than to every vulture species. The plural TURKEY VULTURES occupies fourteen squares without its space; singular TURKEY VULTURE uses thirteen.
Why is TURKEYVULTURES useful to learn?
Combine clues rather than relying on “bird” alone: scavenging describes feeding, red heads distinguish adults, and the plural determines the final S. In flight these birds hold their wings in a shallow V and often rock from side to side.
Common clue patterns
- Red-headed adult carrion eaters — plural species name
- Cathartes aura birds — scientific-name clue
- Scavengers that locate carrion with a keen sense of smell
These are editorially written pattern summaries, not a reproduced puzzle archive.
Other meanings to watch
A turkey vulture is not a wild turkey. Black Vultures are a different species, so the words cannot be freely substituted. “Buzzard” can informally mean a vulture in North America but can refer to a hawk elsewhere; regional wording needs care.