This is bird note.

Birds breathe life into spring.

Before we see or feel the season, we often hear at first

in the testimony of a red-winged blackbird, the energy of a song sparrow, or the

serenade of an American Robin.

But across much of the continent,

an earlier sign of spring is a naked ruddy head,

gliding north on big wings.

Turkey vultures often precede the parade of migrants,

like an advanced team exploring the terrain.

When it comes to migration, the turkey vulture gets a head start on other species.

Its winter range reaches fairly far north, especially along the coasts.

During warm spells in winter, a few daring vultures might even drift as far north as Vermont or Oregon.

But the first genuine migrants show up across the U.S. as early as February or March.

Unlike most of our returning birds which migrate at night,

Turkey vultures migrate like hawks in the daytime. They rise on warm spring up drafts with a distinctive

teeter from side to side, and then they glide northbound.

For Birdnote, I'm Michael Stein.