Black Vulture, Cathartes atratus brasiliensis

Black Vulture, Cathartes atratus brasiliensis. Birds photographed in Parque National Huatulco, Huatulco, Oaxaca, March 2021. Photographs and identification courtesy of Marina Sutormina, Stockholm, Sweden.

Background and Identification

The Black Vulture, Cathartes atratus brasiliensis, is one of three subspecies of Black Vulture, and one of two subspecies found in Mexico. They are a member of the Cathartidae Family of New World Vultures, which has seventy-nine members placed in five genera, and one of three global species of the Cathartes Genus. Black Vultures feed almost exclusively on carrion. They lack a keen sense of smell and rely on the Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura, to locate food where they will descend in large groups to feed on carcasses. The females lay eggs on bare ground in a cave, hollow tree, or an abandoned building. The Black Vulture has been poorly studied and very little has been documented about their biology and behavioral patterns. The Black Vulture is known in Mexico as Zopilote Negro.

The Black Vulture is medium-large in stature, with a length of 60 cm (2 feet  0 inches) to 68 cm (2 feet 3 inches) and a body mass of 1.6  kg (3 lbs 8 oz) to 2.2 kg (4 lbs  13 oz). The sexes are similar in appearance, a sexually monomorphic species. Their plumage is completely black, except for six outer primaries that are whitish with blackish tips on the undersides. Primaries are the outer wing feathers, attached to the bird’s small, fused “hand” bones. Their head is unfeathered, grey, and wrinkled. They have very short and square-shaped tails. Their bill is black with a bright ivory tip and long, hooked beaks, their iris is dark brown.  The Black Vulture’s claws, legs, and feet are blackish brown. The bill and head of this species become adult-like after the first two molt cycles. Molt cycles are usually six months to a year.

Habitat and Geographical Range

The Black Vulture is found in open and semi-open habitats including clearings, farms, mangroves, pastures, savannas, and towns normally at elevations below 3,000 m (9,800 feet). They are known for their large communal roots and their presence along roadways where they gather to feed on roadkill. Highly adaptable birds, they do not mind venturing close to cities and development to find food. Black Vultures, like most Vulture species, prefer open areas where they can easily spot carrion and have access to thermals for soaring. Thermals are columns of rising air that are warmed by the sun on the surface of the earth, and they allow birds to fly without expending excess energy.

Geographically, the Black Vulture is widespread across the Americas, from the southeastern United States through Central America and South America. They are particularly common in Florida and other southeastern States, but their range extends as far west as Texas and as far north as New York.  In Mexico, the Black Vulture is found throughout the country, but absent from Baja California, Baja California Sur, and the extreme northwest section of Sonora.

Common Misidentifications

The Black Vulture is very similar to two other Mexican Cathares vultures: the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Cathares burrovianus and the Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura. Black Vultures can be differentiated by their short tail, and their less rounded wrinkled gray head with a longer and straighter bill.

Conservation Status

From a conservation perspective, the Black Vulture is currently considered to be of Least Concern with expanding, widely distributed populations. They are very tolerant of human development and have become pests in many regions. They are a known threat to aircraft, personal property, and livestock depredation attacking weak and newborn livestock. Vultures are often perceived by humans as gross and dirty, but in reality, they are quite the opposite. They play a crucial role in the ecosystems they are a part of. By rapidly consuming carcasses of dead animals, they reduce the spread of disease to livestock and humans and limit the population growth of other scavengers, like feral dogs and rats. These ground scavengers are often less desirable than Vultures.