Animalia Life

Coragyps atratus
SUBFAMILY
Catharnae
TAXONOMY
Vultur atratus Bechstein, 1793, St. John’s River, Florida. Three subspecies.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Black vulture; French: Urubu noir; German: Rabengeier; Spanish: Zopilote Negro.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
22–27 in (56–69 cm), 2.4–4.2 lb (1.1–1.9 kg). Entirely black with light gray ventral wing patches at the base of the primary feathers. Sexes alike. Smooth dark gray head skin of young birds becomes fleshy and warty with age.
DISTRIBUTION
Southern North America to southern South America.
HABITAT
Open areas and water ways.
BEHAVIOR
Roosts, forages and feeds more socially than other species of Cathartidae except for the condors. Flocks at roosts can number several hundred. Heavy wingloading causes tendency to fly at higher altitudes and flap more compared to Cathartes species. Most gregarious of the species.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Will feed on dead animals of any size. Have been known to kill injured or highly compromised animals on rare occasions. Finds carcasses by observing the
BEHAVIOR
of other species and checking areas where food was historically more predictable. Cannot use olfaction as can members of the genus Cathartes, relies primarily on sight.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Two brown mottled eggs laid in darkened sheltered cave, thick vegetation, or abandon buildings. No nest material used. Incubation takes 38–45 days. Chicks covered with reddish brown down; fledging at about 90 days. Extended parental dependency of several months.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. Common in most areas of its range.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Never considered food. Like other small vultures generally tolerated because of feeding habits that reduce the presence of animal carcasses decreasing the likelihood of disease transmission to humans.

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