The turkey vulture got its name from the common Turkey (as in Thanksgiving), because of the likeness to the common Turkey's featherless and reddish head. The word "vulture" comes from the Latin word, vulturus, meaning "ripper," which in turn comes from another Latin word vuellere meaning "to pluck or tear at." This is a reference to the way in which the vulture rips and eats its food.

Turkey vultures have a highly developed sense of smell, something most birds don't have, including other vulture species. They often depend on the odors given off by decaying flesh for locating food. They have weak claws and usually cannot carry anything in them while flying, but they are capable of carrying small amounts of food in their beaks over short distances.