ABOUT THIS SPECIES
BLACK VULTURE – (Species Account Weblog #86)
TAXONOMIC TREE:
- ORDER: Cathartiformes,
- FAMILY: Cathartidae,
- BINOMIAL NAME: Coragyps atratus
The Black Vulture is a big, uniform black raptor with silvery patches on undersides of wingtips. In flight, broad, rounded wings with distinct “fingers” are held flat like a board. Discover very brief tail and small black head. Soars in flocks, typically with different vultures and hawks. Flight model is distinctive; bat-like, robust snappy wingbeats adopted by brief glides.(from Birds of the World)
SIMILAR SPECIES
In flight, Black Vulture is finest distinguished from the Turkey Vulture and Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture by its very brief tail, whitish patch on undersurface of outer primaries, and barely smaller dimension. When hovering, it tends to carry its wings horizontally, whereas Cathartes vultures have a tendency to carry their wings barely raised, forming a shallow V-shaped profile.
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION
PERSONAL OBSERVATION ANECDOTES
In Costa Rica we noticed Black Vultures at most low to center elevation areas all through.
PHOTO GALLERY
**A few of these Photograph Gallery pictures (all taken by me) have been taken in different close by nations.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
View the 5 most up-to-date Birds & Birding in Costa Rica sequence weblog posts beneath.
