The real buzzard of the Old West plus guide to minis

[oabee]

So, my town is actually Buzzard Creek? 

Nah, Buzzard Creek would work alright, but Vulture Creek is just fine.  
There actually was a Vulture Mine, with an associated settlement called Vulture City, in Arizona, which is now a ghost town.


I absolutely love and admire the work you're doing: don't change a thing!  

Mike O

[oabee]

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

Here in the States a buzzard is a vulture is a buzzard. No lies, no worries. 

Seriously, and I haven't studied on this, but probably when the first English settlers in the New World saw the ubiquitous Turkey vultures soaring effortlessly, it reminded them of their own buzzards (hawks) back home (which Pynkes mentioned above), and the name got transferred to the American vultures. Or maybe it didn't happen that way. Makes sense, though. 

[oabee]

WARNING: TECHNICAL ORNITHOLOGICAL DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW! 

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.

I’m not an ornithologist, but here’s the best sense I can give of the current consensus of the classification of vultures and condors.

All Diurnal Raptors (including vultures and condors, hawks, eagles, and the like, but not falcons) currently are assigned to the family Accipitriformes .

Within that Family, the Order Cathartidae, also known as the New World Vultures, consists of seven species of vultures and condors, all found in North, Central, and South America, three of which can be found north of the Rio Grande. (Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/Guide/browse_tax.aspx?family=75)

Also within Accipitriformes is the Order Accipitridae, which contains the hawks, eagles, and kites, and also those birds known as the Old World Vultures, consisting of 16 species of vultures, whose general range is below:



New World and Old World Vultures evolved apart from each other, have no common ancestors, and are not closely related to each other. They do share many similarities (feeding on carrion, bald heads, etc.). New World Vultures find carcasses by sight and smell (Turkey vultures and their close relatives have an especially acute sense of smell); Old World Vultures find carcasses strictly by sight.

And as I noted in the beginning, no New World Vultures have elongated necks, while some Old World Vultures do.

By the 19th Century in the American West, California condors could only be found in a zone stretching along the Pacific coast from British Columbia south to Baja. Black vultures could be found in the West in southeast Oklahoma and southeast Texas (also in the entire American South to the east of those states) and south of the Rio Grande.

The range of the Turkey vulture is shown below. Yellow is its summer range (actually half the year, March-Sept.), green meaning present year-round:



As you can see, in most of the Western US territory, the Turkey vulture is the only vulture to be found.

[FifteensAway]

I hang out in the wilds a lot and only recently have a scene my first "turkey" dinner - and that was along side a busy urban freeway!

Cool discussion.  But I DEMAND something in 15 mm to fill this void!  Okay, so I do know that MY Miniatures make some but I've haven't ordered any yet.  Not sure if they are condors, vultures, or buzzards - but if they are all that is available, then they'll fit the 'bill'.   

[Papa Spanky]

A few years ago on a cold -10 degree day I was headed out to work and pulled my car out of my garage to warm up. I went in to get coffee and came out to find a turkey vulture in my garage perched on my ceiling storage shelf. I tried to scare him out and even gave him a gentle nudge with a hockey stick. He wouldn't budge, and really I couldnt blame him, it was cold! I left the overhead door open and a note for my wife. She was not amused. It was in there for almost two hours.

[oabee]

A survey of 25/28mm vultures that I could find:

Fanticide
These could pass quite nicely as Turkey vultures! Be sure the wings are upswept in a dihedral, and the heads hang down. Doesn't look like these have tails, but they're fine as is, and if you're a realism fanatic, it shouldn't be too hard to put some tails on these birds.


DeeZee
Old World Vultures


Wyrd/Malifaux
Striking mini, but Old World Vulture


Wargames Foundry
Old World Vultures


Steve Barber has a set called “Vultures and Corpse Set”, Code A8, but I couldn’t find a photo. As all his other animals are African, I’m pretty sure that these are Old World Vultures.

Mega Minis
These are now out of production, and I’m not sure if anyone is making them anymore. They are Old World Vultures.



Irregular Miniatures
Top photo: Eagle (top), Old World Vulture (bottom)
Bottom photo: Old World Vultures in flight. Posture (head up) and size of heads (too big) all wrong for Turkey vultures.



Reaper
Top photo: Old World Vulture, but could be converted to Turkey vulture
Bottom photo: Old World Vulture




Rapier Miniatures
Old World Vultures



Eureka (see attachment at very bottom)
These are in their Fantasy Range, and they would do quite nicely as Turkey vultures! Just be sure their heads are hanging down. The wings shouldn’t be flat: they should have that dihedral like the two on the right (which are actually one figure). Tails are a little too wide, but hey, close enough. I personally would build up the area around their necks with Green Stuff: the necks are a bit too prominent. See photos for profile.

Profiles of Turkey vultures in flight:

Tail spread

Tail back

[Digits]

Those Eureka birds look fantastic...I will be ordering those.


Meanwhile I use this one from Games workshop. 

[oabee]

My Gawd, help me---I can't stop! 

And don’t forget other common Western birds for your landscape.

Common Raven
Large, all-black bird, omnivorous including eating carrion, found throughout the area west of the Dakotas, Kansas, and Nebraska.


American Crow
Large (smaller than Raven), all-black bird, omnivorous including carrion, found nearly everywhere except western Utah, SE Nevada and California, southern Arizona and Nevada, and west Texas (in other words, they don’t like the desert).


Black- billed Magpie
Large black, white, and blue-winged bird with long tail, found throughout the West except for the southern tier, raucous and vocal, omnivorous, including carrion, actually kills and eats small mammals (squirrels, voles).


Numerous miniatures companies make ravens, and the smaller versions of those minis would work for crows.  As for magpies, start with a crow and elongate the tail with Green Stuff or whatever. All of these would be great for inhabiting your Boot Hill, that lonely dead tree or cactus, or whatever.

OK, I'll stop now.

Mike O

[oabee]

Those Eureka birds look fantastic...I will be ordering those.


Meanwhile I use this one from Games workshop.  

I wondered where you got that critter, Digits! He adds loads of character to your superb Boot Hill, er, Sad Hill! Add that to your list, everyone.

EDIT: Now what you need is a raven or two perching in a sinister manner in that tree and/or on a tombstone.....

[Steve F]

Numerous miniatures companies make ravens, and the smaller versions of those minis would work for crows. 

Can you recommend any non-flying Ravens (for the Tower of London, rather than the Old West)?

[joroas]

[oabee]

Can you recommend any non-flying Ravens (for the Tower of London, rather than the Old West)?

Crocodile Games in their Agyptus range (WGE-131b) immediately comes to mind: two perched on a dead tree, but a little snip and Bob's your uncle.

Reaper Familiar Pack 02969 (02969A has just the sprue with the raven and is cheaper) and Familiar Pack X (03567): both perched (snip).

I have the Crocodile and Reaper 02969 birds: they're probably what you're looking for.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head, and I must be off....got to get to a game of Warmachine...not my favorite game, but it's fun to be with the boyz.

I'll check into it further and post anything if I can find it.

Just occurred to me: I know that Tabletop World has a couple ravens included with their Tombstones (because I bought the set): they are true to scale, which means they look like crows (or robins!) compared to those ravens listed above, which, being for fantasy, are over-sized and more cartoonish.

Mike O

[Steve F]

Thanks a lot, Mike.  I see what you mean about size: that Reaper raven is bigger than the cat in the same pack!

[Digits]

Check bits duties....GW do a good bird or two as well as the vulture.

Well it just so happens my wife is in Oz just now so I've asked her to get me some of the Eureka models!   Great timing! 

[oabee]

joroas:

Finally had a chance to give your Jasper Carrot video a look....and listen.

 

Thanks for sharing. 

Mike O