The Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) is a large bird of prey that is common across much of the southern United States. When seen soaring high overhead, the Black Vulture is easily identified by its distinctive silhouette and flight style. In this article, we will examine the key physical features and flight characteristics that distinguish the Black Vulture from other birds when viewed from below.
Identifying Features
The Black Vulture has a wingspan of up to 5.5 feet, making it one of the largest vultures found in North America. Its plumage is all black, giving rise to its common name. The head and neck are devoid of feathers, showing pinkish-gray skin. The tail is short compared to other vultures. The legs do not have feathers and the feet are flat and weakly clawed. In flight, the wings are held in a shallow V-shape.
In Flight Profile
When soaring, the Black Vulture holds its wings horizontally in a flat profile, often tipped up at the ends. The wingspan is broad. The tail is short and fan-shaped when spread. The head and neck are held forward, extending beyond the leading edge of the wings. Unlike Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures do not rock or teeter in flight. The soaring flight of Black Vultures is steady and graceful.
Flight Behavior
Black Vultures utilize thermals and updrafts to gain altitude and then soar and glide long distances with barely a flap of their wings. They skillfully ride air currents, teetering only slightly to balance their course. Their broad wings enable them to soar for hours without flapping. Black Vultures often soar in groups, sometimes mixing with Turkey Vultures. They will sometimes soar at high altitudes until becoming a tiny, barely visible speck.
Unique Attributes
The all-black plumage and small head profile give the soaring Black Vulture a very distinctive outline compared to other birds. The white wing tips of the Turkey Vulture are lacking in the Black Vulture, appearing as an all-dark bird. The silhouette is thick-bodied on top due to the broad wings. Black Vultures are noticeably larger and bulkier than the more common Turkey Vulture when seen overhead.
Detailed Physical Description
Let’s examine the physical attributes and wing shape of Black Vultures in greater detail, to understand their adaptation for soaring flight.
Body Size and Shape
Black Vultures are large, weighing 4-5 pounds and measuring 24-28 inches long. Their wingspan is enormous at 5 feet or more across.
The body profile is chunky and broad-shouldered. The neck appears small and underdeveloped in proportion to the thick body, showing no feathers. The head itself is small for the size of the bird.
The tail is relatively short for a vulture, extending just beyond the width of the body when perched. In flight it spreads to form a short, fan-shaped profile.
The feet are set back on the body, unlike raptors which have their legs positioned more centrally. The feet are small and lack strong claws for grasping. This reflects their preference for scavenging over hunting.
Wings
The wings of Black Vultures are distinctly broad, rounded and short compared to other vultures and birds of prey. When outstretched, the wingtips are noticeably rounded compared to the pointier wingtips of hawks and eagles.
The broad, paddle-shaped wings provide enough surface area and lift to allow these heavy-bodied carrion eaters to stay aloft, soaring for long periods on air currents. The wings are held flat or slightly uptilted when in soaring flight.
In silhouette, the wing profile is very broad through the hand and rounded at the tips, contrasting with the skinny body profile. This gives the flying vulture a unique top-heavy teardrop shape.
Wingspan | Up to 5.5 feet |
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Wing Shape | Broad, short and rounded at the tip when outstretched |
Wing Position (Gliding) | Held flat or uptilted |
Plumage
Black Vultures sport all black plumage, lacking the contrasting white feathers seen on the wingtips of Turkey Vultures. The black feathers cover the entire body and wings. From below, the black plumage contrasts starkly with the white underside plumage of Turkey Vultures.
The head and neck are featherless, showing grayish skin that appears pink from afar. Unlike many Old World vultures, Black Vultures lack the shaggy “ruff” of neck feathers.
The bare head and neck are an adaptation to hygiene, allowing the vulture to reach deep inside carcasses and clean itself afterward without fouling its feathers.
Beak
The beak of the Black Vulture is relatively small and narrow for its body size. The upper mandible is gray-black and the lower mandible is pinkish-white. The beak is sharp and strong enough to tear tough hide and skin when feeding but it is not large or powerful like an eagle’s bill. This suits their preference for softer carrion.
Bill Color | Gray-black upper, pale lower |
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Bill Size | Smaller and thinner than eagles |
Bill Strength | Adequate for tearing skin; weaker than eagles |
Distinguishing the Black Vulture in Flight
The flight profile of soaring and gliding Black Vultures differs from similar species in ways that aid identification.
Turkey Vulture
The Black Vulture is most easily confused with the smaller Turkey Vulture due to similar soaring habits and dark coloration. Turkey Vultures have a gray body and wings but with prominent white wing tips that stand out clearly during flight. The Turkey Vulture’s wings appear more angular and less broad than the Black Vulture. The Turkey Vulture rocks side-to-side more prominently in flight.
Black Vulture | All black, broader wings |
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Turkey Vulture | Pale head, white wing tips |
Eagles and Hawks
Bald Eagles and Red-tailed Hawks are dark from below but have proportionally longer, narrower wings. Eagles and hawks soar with wings held at an uptilted angle in a ‘V’ shape compared to the flat wing profile of foraging Black Vultures. The broad, paddle-shaped wings of the Black Vulture provide easy identification from below when contrasted with classic raptor wing shape.
Black Vulture | Broad, paddle-shaped wings |
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Eagles & Hawks | Longer, narrower, angled wings |
Ravens and Crows
All-black Ravens and Crows can sometimes be mistaken for Black Vultures at a distance. However, corvids have shorter, rounded wings and longer tails that give them a very different flight profile. Ravens and Crows have quicker, stiffer wing beats punctuated by short glides. Vultures have slower, graceful soaring on flat wings.
Black Vulture | Long, broad wings with shallow flaps |
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Ravens & Crows | Short, rounded wings with stiffer flaps |
Black Vulture Flight Patterns
Beyond physical features, the flight behavior of Black Vultures differs from other birds in ways that aid identification.
Soaring
Black Vultures are masters at soaring flight, sometimes traveling for miles without flapping their wings. They utilize thermals and updrafts to gain altitude, then lock their wings in place and sail vast distances with minimal effort.
The characteristic flat wing profile is ideal for riding air currents. By teetering slightly and angling their wings, vultures can tack back and forth within a thermal, circling upwards on rising warm air.
Once at altitude, they glide by the mile in straight lines with wings held stead. If altitude is lost, they rebound quickly by finding another thermal.
Flapping
When flapping, Black Vultures have a relatively labored, shallow wingbeat compared to more powerful fliers like eagles. The broad wings are adapted for soaring, not powered flight. But shallow flapping can quickly lift the vultures when needed.
On sunny days, Black Vultures minimize flapping to conserve energy, waiting instead for thermal lift. During poor weather or high winds, more rowing of the wings is required. Even then, bursts of flapping will be followed by short glides.
Steadiness
A key difference in flight mannerism between Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures is stability. Turkey Vultures notoriously rock side-to-side with each wingbeat, tilting back and forth on an axis through the wing roots. This teetering helps them scan below for carrion.
In contrast, Black Vultures hold their wings flat and exhibit barely any rocking. Even when turning, banking or tacking in a thermal, their movement is graceful and steady. This steadiness aids identification when silhouetted overhead.
Flight Altitude
Black Vultures frequently soar at high altitudes, appearing as small specks in the sky. Turkey Vultures generally fly lower to scan the ground for carrion. Both vulture species will descend to investigate potential food sources.
Observing the distant altitude of vultures can provide clues – the highest soarers are likely Black Vultures riding thermals. Lower, teetering birds are likely Turkey Vultures actively searching the ground below.
Black Vulture | Soars higher; flat wings |
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Turkey Vulture | Soars lower; teetering flight |
Behavioral Differences from Hawks
The flight habits of Black Vultures also differ from hawks in ways that aid identification.
Soaring Versus Hunting
Hawks like the Red-tailed Hawk spend much of their flying time actively hunting rather than soaring. Long periods of focused soaring indicate a vulture.
When hawks do soar, they typically hold their wings in a dihedral “V” shape. Vultures soar with flat, uptilted wings. The vulture’s wings are also broader than a hawk’s.
Watching a raptor’s habits will reveal its identity – the dedicated searcher is likely a hawk, while the dedicated soarer is likely a vulture.
Black Vulture | Soars for hours on flat wings |
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Hawks | More active hunting; V-shaped wings |
Landing and Taking Off
When taking off from the ground, Black Vultures need a long runway to gather speed before becoming airborne. Once airborne, they quickly wheel into soaring flight.
In contrast, hawks and eagles launch from perches or the ground with more rapid flapping to become quickly airborne. Their narrower wings provide lower lift but greater agility.
Vultures are more prone to land on or take off from higher perches. Hawks can launch from lower ground positions. Watching these launch and landing habits can help confirm the birds’ identity.
Conclusion
In summary, Black Vultures in flight exhibit a distinctive profile unlike other birds:
– Broad, paddle-shaped wings held flat or uptilted
– Short, fan-shaped tail
– Small head that juts ahead of the body
– All-black plumage, lacking white wing patches
Behaviorally, Black Vultures soar extensively, utilize thermals to gain height, then glide long distances without flapping. Their flight is stable, exhibiting little rocking or teetering.
When contrasted with Turkey Vultures, eagles, hawks, and crows, the Black Vulture has a very characteristic flight style all of its own that aids identification by bird watchers. Understanding these distinctions helps anyone appreciate the aerial mastery of these unique soaring birds. The next time you spot a far-off black spec high in the summer sky, it likely belongs to the broad-winged Black Vulture riding the heat waves in graceful flight.