Black Vulture
A highly social scavenger whose broad circles and white wing patches are familiar above both cities and wild rivers.
Artwork inspired by Cândido Portinari
Black Vultures rely more on eyesight than smell and often follow Turkey Vultures to food. Their short tails, broad wings, and silvery-white patches near the wingtips create a distinctive flight silhouette.
They flap more frequently than Turkey Vultures and gather communally; observe sanitation behavior without approaching feeding groups or carcasses. In Peru, look over markets, fishing ports, river beaches, landfills, and warm valleys. Year-round; rises after the ground warms.
- Best clue
- Compact black vulture with white wingtips and a short tail
- Habitat
- cities, coastlines, farmland, river valleys, and open forest
- Typical timing
- Year-round; rises after the ground warms
Quick guide
- Look
- White wingtips
- Confirm
- Short square tail
Field marks for Black Vulture
- First impression
- Read compact black vulture with white wingtips and a short tail when identifying Black Vulture.
- Confirm in detail
- Compare frequent stiff flaps together with short square tail before accepting the identification.
- Where to expect it
- Cities, coastlines, farmland, river valleys, and open forest; year-round; rises after the ground warms.
- Watch without pressure
- Use distance to observe in Peru, scan above fishing ports.
Good to know
Their short tails, broad wings, and silvery-white patches near the wingtips create a distinctive flight silhouette.
Notice these
- White wingtips
- Short square tail
- Frequent stiff flaps
- Social scavenging