American crow confronting a turkey vulture on the roofline, June 30, 2010.

-Taken by Charlie Cutler, LP&CT Member and Volunteer

~The American crow is thought to be one of the smartest birds, often compared to parrots.  This crow appears alone, but you should always assume that if you see one crow, it has many allied friends just a call away ready to help out.

Turkey vulture soaring above Belvidere, June 30, 2010.

-Taken by Charlie Cutler, LP&CT Member and Volunteer

~The turkey vulture, although raptor-like, is actually a scavenger of the stork family.  It is one of the few birds with a distinct sense of smell.  It is thought to be able to smell carrion from miles away.  If you see large birds circling high above, they're probably turkey vultures hoping to catch wind of carrion.

Red-tailed hawk with Eastern gray squirrel in a Belvidere front yard, January 15, 2012.

-Taken by Charlie Cutler, LP&CT Member and Volunteer

~Raptors (aka birds of prey), such as the red-tailed hawk, used their keen binocular vision to spot prey and their sharp, strong talons to capture prey. The red-tailed hawk is commonly seen year-round in all parts of Lowell.