Large with broad wings, a short tail, and a small head. Entirely black except for silvery patches on the underside of the wingtips. Note splayed wingtips or "fingers" in flight.
Compact, almost all-black vulture with unfeathered black head and white flashes or "stars" in the wing.
Hefty black bird with an unfeathered head and a pale bill.
Feeds almost exclusively on carrion, locating it by soaring high in the skies on thermals.
Soars on flat wings. Note short tail. White "stars" in underwing can be hard to see at distance.
Perched birds are entirely black with a gray and unfeathered head.
Often roosts in stands of tall trees including sycamores, pines, hickories, oaks, junipers, and bald cypress.
Roosts in large groups, sometimes with Turkey Vultures, which are slightly larger with red heads (at right of frame).
Often spreads its wings to cool down or warm up by exposing the underwings.
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Black Vultures are large raptors. In flight, they hold their broad, rounded wings flat and angled slightly forward. The tail is very short and rounded. They have small, bare heads and narrow but strongly hooked bills.
Slightly smaller than a Turkey Vulture; slightly larger than a Red-tailed Hawk.
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