(Credit: U. S. Geological Survey)

Black Vulture - Coragyps atratus

Identification Tips:

  1. Length: 22 inches Wingspan: 54 inches
  2. Sexes similar
  3. Large, broad-winged, soaring bird
  4. Tail short and squared-off
  5. Rather long, thick, gray legs
  6. Longish, hooked, dark bill
  7. Holds wings flat while soaring and gliding
  8. Flies with several quick flaps and a brief glide
  9. Unfeathered, gray head and throat
  10. Plumage entirely black except for whitish outer primaries
  11. Immature similar to adult

Similar species:

The Turkey Vulture is also dark with an unfeathered head, but has a much different shape in flight. The Turkey Vulture is long-winged and long-tailed and flies with a pronounced dihedral angle to the wings. Turkey Vultures lack the white patch at the wingtips and show contrast between paler flight feathers and darker coverts. Eagles are larger with feathered heads and different patterns of white in the wings and tail. Dark morph hawks have longer tails usually with white markings and feathered heads.