SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Happy birthday Lord Richard.
Preparations are underway in Walnut Creek for a grand celebration on Saturday to honor a turkey vulture more than three times older than the animal's average lifespan.
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The avian animal ambassador turned 48-years-old recently, making him one of the longest living residents at Lindsay Wildlife Experience, an animal rehabilitation center in Walnut Creek.
Just how rare is 48-years-old for a turkey vulture?
"In the wild, turkey vultures actually live on average about 13 years but there are a couple turkey vultures that have lived into their 40s, including Lord Richard, and we think he might be one of the oldest turkey vultures in the U.S.," Richard's curator, Lauren Amy, told KCBS Radio.
The event, which is free to the public, starts at 10 a.m., and lasts for one hour. It will begin with spectators having the opportunity to meet Richard, who will then go through his training where he flies around the front of Lindsay Wildlife. There will also be a musical performance by The Corner Laughers band, visits with Lindsay animal ambassadors, fun nature-based activities
for the whole family, and a birthday cake filled with Richard’s favorite treats.
"We always give Richard a nice birthday cake, he gets fish, mice, quail, chicken, rabbit, all kinds of yummy things," Amy said. "One of his favorite things, and something we save just for his birthday is actually watermelon. So he will be getting a birthday cake with maybe a little bit of watermelon and then some of his favorite meat treats as well.”
Richard hatched in 1974 at Randall Museum in San Francisco and as a juvenile was transferred to Lindsay Wildlife. After being raised by humans, officials said he became "imprinted and was unable to socialize correctly with turkey vultures in the wild."
In addition, for many years Richard was believed to be female because it was commonly thought he had previously laid an egg. However, in 2018 testing revealed he was actually male.
Amy added that Richard primarily is friendly with his primary keepers, "but to some new people he's not quite sure about, he might try to give them a little love bite, as we call it."
Officials called him "an ambassador for his species and teaches thousands of visitors each year about the importance of turkey vultures in the wild."
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