Black Vulture (also known as the American Black Vulture)

A soot-black bird with a naked, wrinkled grey head. In flight, it is distinguished from the Turkey Vulture by its shorter tail, broader wings, and distinctive white patches at the wingtips. It has a heavy, flapping flight style and often soars in large groups called kettles.

Uniformly charcoal black to deep sooty grey with a subtle matte finish; dorsal surface shows a faint oily sheen; ventral (underside) surface is slightly paler grey; rachis is dark but transitions to a lighter, creamy tan at the calamus (quill)

Tightly interlocked pennaceous barbs throughout the majority of the vane for flight rigidity; some plumulaceous (downy) barbs at the very base of the calamus for insulation

Stiff and rugged; the surface is somewhat coarse to the touch compared to waterbirds; lacks the 'velvet' silent-flight adaptation of owls; noticeably matte under direct light

Deep charcoal color without banding; extreme asymmetry of the vane; pale/creamy calamus; distinctive notch on the leading edge for air slotting

Highly adaptable: found in open landscapes, forests, wetlands, agricultural areas, and increasingly in urban or suburban environments where human refuse is available

Resident year-round from the southeastern United States through Central America and across nearly all of South America, including all regions of Brazil

Scavenger/Decomposer; plays a vital role in cleaning the environment by removing carrion and preventing the spread of diseases such as anthrax and rabies

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) feathers are more brownish-black and have a silvery-grey underside throughout the wing. Crested Caracara feathers are banded/mottled. Neotropic Cormorant feathers are glossier and narrower.

Unlike Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures have a poor sense of smell and often follow their cousins to carcasses. They are highly social and are known to feed in large, organized groups with a strict social hierarchy.

Good condition; minor fraying at the tip and trailing edge suggests natural wear from flight; the calamus is fully formed and clear, indicating a naturally molted feather

Find in Brasil