Five Vultures in High Trees
Ethnographic Notes
Five turkey vultures in high trees, where they would roost each night. The Lakota name for the vulture is heca. They were considered a herald of spring, as one of the first birds to return to the Northern Plains at the end of winter (Buechel, 1970: 169). A jack rabbit (mastinca), two small hawks probably intended as kestrals, called “little red hawks” (cetansala), a red-headed woodpecker, wagnuka, and several smaller birds are shown (Buechel, 1970: 333; 130; & 516).