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Black Vulture

Coragyps atratusOrder: FALCONIFORMESFamily: Vultures (Cathartidae)

Black Vulture Portrait
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General

Black Vulture: Large raptor, black overall with short, featherless neck, pale bill, short and squared tail, and long, pale gray legs and feet. Gray-black skin on head and neck is wrinkled. Wings are white-tipped and held horizontal in flight. Sexes are similar.

Range and Habitat

Black Vulture: Resident in southeastern U.S. and Texas, south to the tropics; preferred habitats include open country, but breeds in woodlands and thickets.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

Generally silent

Interesting Facts

  • The Black Vulture’s scientific name comes from korax, the Greek word for raven; gyps, which means vulture; and from the Latin word atratus, meaning to be clothed in black, as in mourning. The common name, Vulture, comes from the Latin vulturus meaning “tearer.”
  • Unlike Turkey Vultures, this species depends upon its vision to find food.
  • A lone bird is no match for the slightly larger Turkey Vulture. But they are commonly found in flocks which can easily drive away the more solitary Turkey Vulture.
  • A group of vultures has many collective nouns, including a "cast", "committee", "meal", "vortex", and "wake" of vultures.


Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for Black Vulture
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family
Species Coragyps atratus
Length23 - 27 Inches
Wingspan57 Inches

Black Vulture

Black Vulture: Large raptor, black overall, short, featherless neck, pale bill, short and squared tail, long, pale gray legs and feet. Gray-black skin on head and neck is wrinkled. White-tipped wings, held horizontal in flight. Soars on thermals, must flap its wings more often than a Turkey Vulture.

● Song: Generally silent

● Foraging & Feeding: Black Vulture: Diet consists primarily of carrion. Sometimes attacks and kills prey.

● Breeding & nesting: Black Vulture: Two blue to gray-green eggs marked with brown and lavender are laid in a cave, hollow log, stump, tree trunk, or abandoned building, with no nest materials added. Incubation ranges from 37 to 48 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Black Vulture: Turkey Vulture has bare red head, long rectangular tail, and 2-toned wings from below (black in front with silver-gray trailing edge), and hold wings in shallow "V” when soaring.

Flight Pattern

Soars on thermals., Several quick deep wing beats followed by a glide.
Black Vulture Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Black Vulture: Resident in southeastern U.S. and Texas, south to the tropics; preferred habitats include open country, but breeds in woodlands and thickets.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
PopulationFairly common to common
MigrationSome migrate
Weight76.8 Ounces