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Coragyps atratus
The black vulture is a fairly large bird of prey. With sooty black plumage, a bare black head, and neat white stars under the wingtips, Black Vultures are almost dapper. Its plumage is mainly glossy black. The skin is dark gray and wrinkled. The iris of the eye is brown and has a single incomplete row of eyelashes on the upper lid and two rows on the lower lid. The legs are grayish white, while the two front toes of the foot are long and have small webs at their bases.The feet are flat, relatively weak, and are poorly adapted to grasping; the talons are also not designed for grasping, as they are relatively blunt.
Black Vultures live year-round in forested and open areas of the eastern and southern United States south to South America. This one was photographed at Merry Brick Ponds near Augusta (Richmond County), GA.
In natural settings, the black vulture eats mainly carrion. In areas populated by humans, it may scavenge at garbage dumps, but also takes eggs and decomposing plant material and can kill or injure newborn or incapacitated mammals. Like other vultures, it plays an important role in the ecosystem by disposing of carrion which would otherwise be a breeding ground for disease.
Spotted on Feb 1, 2015
Submitted on Feb 6, 2015
2 Comments
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!
Nice notes and photo.