The real buzzard of the Old West plus guide to minis

[oabee]

First, let me emphasize that this post is not intended as criticism---it is merely to inform, for whatever that is worth to you! Use what minis as you will, paint them as you will, and have fun doing so! Many—most?—wargamers certainly don’t care about the level of detail I am addressing here, but for those who absolutely thrive on authenticity, read on.

While perusing threads on the Old West forum, admiring the wonderful scratch-built buildings, superb detailing, and marvelous minis, I noticed that when I stumbled across vultures inhabiting gamers’ wonderful Western miniature landscapes, they were the wrong species! A quick survey of available miniatures revealed the awful truth: the only vulture minis available to the wargamer are long-necked varieties which can be painted as various Old World Vultures (see photo below of DeeZee Miniatures: left, Griffon vulture; right, Red-headed vulture [?]), but are totally inaccurate in portraying the actual winged scavengers of the Old West.



This is also how cartoon vultures are inevitably depicted:



The standard vulture of the Old West, however, is the Turkey vulture. This bird inhabits all of the Lower 48 states and all of Central and South America. The only other New World Vulture is the Black vulture, which can be found in SE Texas and SE Oklahoma and most of Mexico, but nowhere else west of the Mississippi. There are no, repeat, no long-necked vultures found anywhere in North America.

The photos below should give you an idea of the Turkey vulture’s general appearance: dark brown body, small red head, small ivory beak, darker ruff of feathers on the (short and stubby) neck, and silver-grey feathers on the undersides of the wings. This is the actual bird ol' Clem the Prospector would call a buzzard.



The Black vulture has a longer neck which is still thicker looking than the Old World species. Other than that it is shaped similarly to the Turkey vulture, with black body and gray head, and silver-grey wing tips.



The most suitable mini I can find for a Turkey vulture is Reaper’s Dark Heaven Animal Companion: if you build up the neck slightly with Green Stuff to simulate the feathered ruff of America’s favorite buzzard, you can probably pull it off. I am less than excited about the pose, as the bird is perched on a pile of animal guts. Converting other minis to Turkey vulture status would take a bit more work.

OK, I’ve got it off my chest. Carry on! Make your buzzards as you please. This inaccurate image of vultures is so ingrained that if you field accurate buzzards on your table, someone will say, "Ain't they supposed to have long necks?" And pay me no mind; I’m just a crotchety old bird geek.

[Harry Faversham]

Dead Man's Gulch would never have anything as scabby looking as a Turkey Vulture feasting on one of it's lead poisoned denizens. Nope, I want them long scrawny necked critters in my wild west... when fact contravenes legend, stick with the legend!

[oabee]

when fact contravenes legend, stick with the legend!

Alas, it's quite clear that our romantic view of the feathered scavengers of the Old West will always embrace the legend.   

[Elbows]

If we're honest I'd argue about 95% of miniatures, buildings, terrain features etc. from all of our favourite Old West supplies are fairly inaccurate.  Besides, when gaming in miniature you want something recognizable from a distance.  The normal vultures (and yep, they're not the long necked ones) would appear like normal birds in miniature. Not a problem but it doesn't scream "look at me, I'm a vulture". 

[oabee]

If we're honest I'd argue about 95% of miniatures, buildings, terrain features etc. from all of our favourite Old West supplies are fairly inaccurate.  Besides, when gaming in miniature you want something recognizable from a distance.  The normal vultures (and yep, they're not the long necked ones) would appear like normal birds in miniature. Not a problem but it doesn't scream "look at me, I'm a vulture". 

Excellent point, Mr. Elbows. Our friend the Turkey vulture did not get its name because it eats turkey, but rather because, when on the ground and seen from a distance, it resembles a turkey. So even in real life, it doesn't always scream "look at me, I'm a vulture."   

Even the great Gary Larson is against me:

"Hey! Look at me, everybody! I'm a cowboy! ... Howdy, howdy, howdy!"

[oabee]

Oops...sorry...forgot about the California Condor. Wing span nearly 10 feet! Only about 230 of them flying wild right now, but far, far more common in the 19th Century. And do not have a long, featherless neck like the Old World Vultures.



Loss of feathers makes their necks sometimes appear longer:



Sometimes no apparent neck at all:

[Black Burt]

I reckon number 16 and friends are young hippie condors growing there hair ( feathers) long

[Plynkes]

Now that's confusing, because what we in the Old World call a buzzard is again a completely different creature, a smaller animal that is a bird of prey rather than a scavenger (sort of like a small eagle or a big hawk). They are perpetually on the wing above my house in the summer, just hanging there in the sky. They almost never seem to come down (though I guess they must or they'd starve to death).

[Harry Faversham]

Wot the Gulchers call a buzzard is an ornery old timer with a sawn off scatter gun!  

[oabee]

They are perpetually on the wing above my house in the summer, just hanging there in the sky. They almost never seem to come down (though I guess they must or they'd starve to death).

This statement absolutely applies to our American buzzard, the aforementioned Turkey vulture. You see them quite commonly, soaring above farmland, big cities, suburbs...rocking gently in the breeze. And of course gathered in groups on the ground huddled around some hapless groundhog/muskrat/cat/dog/raccoon/etc.

Took this photo about a kilometer from my acre of paradise in the NW Ohio countryside: two Red-tailed hawks claiming a choice piece of carrion, while the buzzards gather and wait...and wait...

[emosbur]

There are no vultures in America. The birds you name turkey vulture and the condor are from another genus, not the falconiformes like Old World true vultures. American "vultures" are called zopilotes in spanish. In some american countries, they are called gallinazos (big hens...).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_vulture


Emilio.

[Froggy the Great]

And if you ignore the smell and the bald heads, turkey vultures are actually quite striking to see up close.

[Cory]

At one point I considered modelling buzzards with just a landscaped base with a buzzards large shadow painted on, but my modelling skills weren't up to the task of a good shadow. I wanted to use the bases as wounded markers.

[Digits]

So, my town is actually Buzzard Creek? 

[Elbows]

I think it's more "Lies and Deception Creek" now, pal.