As the cool morning air was warmed by the sun last Monday, I caught sight of a group of seven large birds soaring together through the air. I could tell that they were different from the turkey vultures that I had previously photographed, but I wasn’t sure what they were. A friendly birder identified them for me as Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus).
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology website, one of my favorite places to go to learn more about birds, notes that the Black Vulture have a less developed sense of smell than Turkey Vultures, and have to rely on their sight, which is why they may soar at greater heights than the Turkey Vultures. More social than the Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures often travel in flocks and may share a common roost before they go off to forage. (I saw a whole group of them in a single tree earlier in the morning that I took these shots).
I am still in awe of these large birds with impressive wing spans. At the marshland park where I do a lot of my photography, there are a number of species of hawks, and I hope to be able to get some photos of them eventually.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
If I saw that many vultures overhead, I’d be checking my pulse! It looks like that bird has an impressive wingspan.
Great shots. You can use the tail as a way to tell if black or turkey vulture. The turkey vultures have a longer tail that they don’t spread like the black vultures do. Eagles hold their wings out flat and the vultures “vee” theirs.
Thanks for the tips. I’m still looking to photograph eagles and hawks.
Immature eagles can be tricky because can resemble golden eagles. They’re basically dark overall. They’re 4-5 years old before getting white head and tail.
[…] wingspans. Remembering the response of my fellow photographer and blogger Lyle Krahn to a previous posting I did on vultures, I made sure that I moved around from time to time. He commented, “If I saw […]