Program: V is for Vulture

We see them circling overhead almost every day; sometimes we mistake them for hawks. In our area, these large black, bald-headed birds are usually Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura), a member of nature’s efficient clean-up crew. They are scavengers and they have been patrolling the skies for millennia. A total of 23 species make up the vultures found in the New World (the Americas) and the Old World (Europe, Asia and Africa). Turkey Vultures are local representatives of the New World vultures, which in North America also include the California Condor and the Black Vulture. Although Turkey Vultures are commonly seen, they are little studied and much of their behavior remains unknown. This illustrated lecture will address what is known about Turkey Vultures, including their evolution, ecology, and how they are treated worldwide, from reverence to revulsion.

Dennis and Jess Beebe, father and daughter, return for their second appearance on the Santa Barbara Audubon Society lecture series.

Dennis retired after completing two careers; as an Air Force officer, and as an aerospace management consultant.  He works part time for the University of California Sedgwick Reserve, where he also serves a volunteer docent. He is volunteer docent with the non-profit NatureTrack Film Festival and serves on the board of directors of the Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society.  He and his daughter, Jess, teach woodworking classes to elementary school students in the summer for the non-profit Arts Outreach and the City of Solvang.

Jess is an accomplished artist, self-taught computer expert, and birder extraordinaire who frequently gets recruited by her father to assist him in developing PowerPoint lectures, then handling the computer-related challenges that frequently crop up during the actual presentations.  She also volunteers with her father in the service of the NatureTrack Film Festival, Sedgwick Reserve, and other community organizations in the Santa Ynez Valley.

Questions? Contact our Programs Chair.