Avian Explorer » vulture

Black Vulture

Elizabeth — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 16:59:48 +0000

When Jon and I were in South Carolina, there was a point where we were driving on the highway and I saw a big flock of black birds.

At first I thought they were crows because they were big black birds. But the bodies were too thick to be crows.

And thus I came across my first Black Vultures. I’m used to Turkey Vultures, which are very easy to identify because of their pink heads.

It’s possible to confuse the two species when they’re flying if you can’t see the heads. The easiest way to distinguish between them is that the Black Vultures have wing tips that curve upwards and their tails are shorter. Below you can see what I’m talking about with the wing tips.

Black Vulture

Turkey Vulture

The Black Vultures seemed pretty nervous. When we first drove up they were on the ground, but they quickly went into the trees to hide.

When Black Vultures feel threatened they regurgitate. I’m not sure if disgusting predators is part of the goal but it also has the advantage of making them lighter for taking off faster.

Turkey Vultures

Elizabeth — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:00:00 +0000

Turkey vultures are very common in California. I usually seem them hovering above open fields. Here is a picture of one up close from the San Francisco Zoo.

Below is the best picture that I’ve taken so far. You can see that his beak is white and you can almost make out the black ring around his eye.

This is usually all that I can photograph.

Their wingspan is 69 inches.

I like the silvery underwing feathers.

Some people find them creepy looking because of the lack of feathers on their head. Vultures don’t have feathers on their head because they stick their heads inside carcasses and the feathers would harbor bacteria.

I see them as graceful.

San Francisco Zoo

Elizabeth — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:12:00 +0000

For the most part, the San Francisco Zoo is very good about creating environments for the animals that are large and comfortable. The lovebirds, for example, had two large caged areas attached with a tunnel. The birds inside were very happy.

There was one exhibit, however, that was really awful for the birds. The hawks, turkey vultures, and owls were secured to stands by only three feet of rope and positioned in the blinding sun.

The hawks were only a foot away from the turkey vultures and the area was surrounded by people. The birds were clearly uncomfortable. You can see that this isn’t their permanent housing, though, because there is only water provided for the birds. Hopefully they’re only out for a few hours at a time.

This guy kept straining against the binds. He was so unhappy to be tied to the stand. He kept flapping his wings to take off, but his feet were bound. The restraints must be especially hard for such predatory birds.

Here’s another one of him straining.

The turkey vultures felt threatened too and kept posturing for the people. Of course the public was excited to see his gorgeous wingspan, but if only they knew that he was trying to hide his vulnerability.

The section of the zoo with the maguari stork also housed a turkey vulture. It was a large enclosure, so I really hope that they return the other turkey vultures to that area too.

In the section with the owls, who were secured similarly, there were volunteers that explained how they only take in birds that cannot be released into the wild. One of the owls had been raised by humans; another contracted West Nile virus and had some neurological damage as a result. I’m thrilled that they take care of these birds, but I really wish that they would put these birds in a caged structure where they can fly.