Lord Richard, a 52-year-old turkey vulture at Walnut Creek's Lindsay Wildlife Experience, is celebrating his birthday, sharing the title of one of the world's oldest living turkey vultures with a counterpart in Minnesota.

At 1931 First Avenue in Walnut Creek, the Lindsay Wildlife Experience is gearing up for a special celebration this week for one of its most distinguished residents. Lord Richard, a turkey vulture who hatched in 1974, is marking his 52nd birthday, making him one of the oldest known living turkey vultures in the world, alongside a co-claimant in Minnesota.

The non-profit native wildlife museum and hospital will host a public party on Saturday, July 11, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, to honor the venerable bird. The festivities will include a special birthday “cake” crafted from Lord Richard’s favorite treats, such as watermelon, raw meat, and superworms. The local band The Corner Laughers is also slated to perform their original tribute song, "Lord Richard."

Lord Richard’s journey began at the Randall Museum in San Francisco, where he hatched in 1974. Due to the nascent state of wildlife rehabilitation at the time, he became habituated to human interaction, preventing his release back into the wild. This circumstance led him to become a permanent and beloved fixture at the Lindsay Wildlife Experience, where he has been a local legend for decades. Early lore even had him misidentified as female for years after he laid an egg, a notion corrected by genetic testing in 2018.

While the Lindsay Wildlife Experience celebrates Lord Richard as "the oldest known living turkey vulture in the world," research indicates he shares this distinction with Nero, another turkey vulture residing at the University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center. Nero also boasts a confirmed hatch year of 1974, placing both birds as joint holders of the title for the oldest living turkey vultures on record globally. This shared milestone only underscores the remarkable longevity achieved by these birds in captivity, far exceeding the typical 13-16 year lifespan of their wild counterparts.

The presence of Lord Richard enriches the texture of Walnut Creek, offering residents and visitors a unique connection to wildlife and a testament to dedicated animal care. His long life and endearing story continue to draw attention to the Lindsay Wildlife Experience and its mission.