03/30/2026
IT’S A GIRL!! Bat, our Turkey Vulture educational ambassador was the one who laid those beautiful eggs shared in yesterday’s reel. Until now, we did not know her s*x as unlike many raptors, Turkey Vulture do not have s*xual dimorphism — males are as large as females and they do not have any color differences. We also did not see a need to s*x her but with laid eggs, we are thrilled to know now that Bat is female.
Bat came in for rehab in 2018 after being found on the ground in September. Normally a Turkey Vulture would be on its way to Mexico in early fall, but Bat was still in NM. Upon examination, it was determined Bat was mostly blind for reasons unknown — she may have been born that way. Because she was a juvenile (still had her black/gray head and beak), had a good disposition, and enough vision to get around, she became an educational bird for Santa Fe Raptor Center. 2 years ago, she officially joined Land of Enchantment Wildlife Foundation/Cottonwood Rehab’s Education Program.