BLACK VULTURE GALLERY
(Coragyps atratus)
eBird provides the following description for the Black Vulture: Large raptor. Uniform black with silvery patches on undersides of wingtips. In flight, broad, rounded wings with distinct “fingers” are held flat like a board. Notice very short tail and small black head. Soars in flocks, often with other vultures and hawks. Flight style is distinctive; bat-like, strong snappy wing-beats followed by short glides. Look for them along highways eating roadkill, or picking through dumpsters.
I have seen so many Black Vultures along the side of the road feeding on animals, large and small, that have been hit and killed by automobiles, that I almost never bother to take a picture. I promise to get some decent shots in the near future and post them in this gallery, along with the few shots I am posting initially.
From All About Birds, a few “Cool Facts” About Black Vultures:
- In the U.S., Black Vultures are outnumbered by their red-headed relatives, Turkey Vultures, but they have a huge range and are the most numerous vulture in the Western Hemisphere.
- Turkey Vultures have an excellent sense of smell, but Black Vultures aren’t nearly as accomplished sniffers. To find food they soar high in the sky and keep an eye on the lower-soaring Turkey Vultures. When a Turkey Vulture’s nose detects the delicious aroma of decaying flesh and descends on a carcass, the Black Vulture follows close behind.
- One-on-one at a carcass, Black Vultures lose out to the slightly larger Turkey Vulture. But flocks of Black Vultures can quickly take over a carcass and drive the more solitary Turkey Vultures away.
- Black Vultures lack a voice box and so their vocal abilities are limited to making raspy hisses and grunts.
- Although Black Vultures and their relatives live only in North and South America, the oldest fossils from this group—at least 34 million years old—were found in Europe.
- The oldest Black Vulture on record was at least 25 years, 6 months old and they may live even longer in captivity.