Turkey vultures use small-scale air turbulence to stay aloft at forest edges, according to a new study.

The trick enables the vultures to soar continuously without much flapping, giving them more time to look for carrion.

Julie Mallon, an ornithologist at the University of Maryland, and her colleagues call the behavior “contorted soaring.” They observed it most frequently in turkey vultures but also in black vultures.

“It looked just like gliding, except that when they are gliding, they are always losing altitude,” Ms. Mallon said.