Habitat: Along with the Turkey Vulture, the Black Vulture is one of the most abundant New World vultures. Black Vultures typically occur in open or partly forested habitats, often in close proximity to human settlements. These vultures are found in lowland areas along rivers or in open habitats in the southern United States and throughout Central and South America. They rarely inhabit dense forests. The Black Vulture has adapted well to human habitats and can be seen at garbage dumps, markets, and fishing docks.

Physical Characteristics: The Black Vulture has a body length of 22 - 27 inches, a wingspan of 4 1/2 - 5 feet, and weighs 4 - 5 pounds. Black Vultures have featherless dark gray to black heads and necks. The gray legs and toes often are stained whitish with excrement. Adult Black Vultures have dark bills with bone-colored tips and their heads and the upper half of their necks are dark gray and covered with wrinkles. The Black Vulture’s short, square-tipped tail serves as a distinctive field mark. In flight, the toes of Black Vultures often extend beyond the tip of their tails.

Diet: Black Vultures are opportunistic aerial scavengers that feed on carrion of all types and sizes. They sometimes feed on the same carcass for several days. Occasionally Black Vultures capture live prey, most of which are young, weak, or sick small mammals or birds. The species also preys on eggs and nestlings, and, occasionally on newborn domestic animals.

Reproduction: Black Vultures are monogamous and pairs are believed to mate for life. Pairs remain together year-round. Family members associate more closely with each other than with other individuals. Black Vultures nest in dark recesses usually under some type of cover. They do not build a nest, instead, they lay their eggs in rocky crevices, caves, tree cavities, hollow logs, and on the floors of abandoned buildings. Black Vultures perch for long periods in close proximity to potential nest sites as early as four to six weeks before egg-laying, presumably to determine if the site is free from disturbance. Black Vultures perform aerial displays during courtship. At such times, males circle females with their necks extended, exhale loudly, and chase and dive towards them.

Black Vultures typically lay two eggs, which are incubated for 32 to 45 days. Both males and females incubate during alternating, 24-hour shifts. Adults sometimes position the eggs on top of their toes while incubating. After hatching, the young are brooded continually until 14 days of age. Thereafter they are brooded intermittently until they are 24 days old. Parents regurgitate food to their young, and small nestlings receive liquefied food as often as 20 times a day. When the young are 14 days old they begin to receive solid food. As the young mature, parents gradually spend more time away from the nest and feed older nestlings two to four times a day. Juvenile Black Vultures fledge at 10 to 14 weeks of age, but remain dependent on their parents much longer. Adults sometimes provide food for their young as long as eight months after fledging. Even once they have become independent, juveniles may continue to forage in social groups with their parents.

Behavior: Vultures are known to defecate on their own legs. This behavior seems to have two benefits: (1) a cooling effect (2) cleansing bacterial contamination caused by standing in/near carrion. Black vultures are very social and gregarious.

Status: common

Interesting Facts:

	This species of vulture has benefitted from human activities and is found in greater numbers in disturbed habitats than in forested wildlife areas.
	New World vultures are more closely related to storks.
	The unusual bald head of the vulture is an interesting feeding adaptation, as it prevents bacterial infection as the bird’s head is submerged in a carcass. Head feathers would be impossible to keep clean. They have long hooked beaks for tearing flesh and short, blunt talons. Black vultures use a combination of sight and scent to locate their prey although their sense of smell is not as keen as Turkey vultures.