Coragyps atratus

• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Physical Description

Habitat

Vegetation: arid lowland scrubs, second-growth scrub, low seasonally wet grasslands, arid lowland scrubs, arid lowland scrubs, pastures and agricultural lands, river edge and river island forests • Maximum Elevation: 2,800 meters • Foraging Strata: Aerial • Center of Abundance: Lower tropical: lowlands, lower than 500 m.; tropics. • Sensitivity to Disturbancet: Low

Ecology: List of Habitats : 1.6 Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland 3.5 Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry 4.6 Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded 14.2 Artificial/Terrestrial - Pastureland 14.6 Artificial/Terrestrial - Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest

Biology

Diet

This species is a carrion feeder , eating almost any type of dead animal. The Black Vulture also preys on some small vertebrates , including young birds and small mammals. It can be commonly seen on the roadside eating vehicle-killed animals.

Reproduction

The breeding season occurs from January to July, peaking in March-April. This species will nest in a variety of situations, including on the ground under shrubs , on a cliff , in sheds or barns, or in a hollow log . No nest is built. The female lays 1-3 (usually 2) eggs that she and the male incubate for 37-48 days. The young are semi-altricial and are cared for by the adults for 80-94 days after they hatch .

• Clutch Size: 2
• Length of Incubation : 37-48 days
• Days to Fledge : 80-94
• Number of Broods: 1

Migration

Some migrate

Behavior

The Black Vulture uses mostly sight to find its food. In the evening, many individuals roost together. When frightened, the Black Vulture responds by swiftly regurgitating its last meal in the direction of whomever or whatever has frightened it.

Taxonomy

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 17-Oct-2001.

Similar Species

Common in the SE US and in many parts of NC, Black Vultures can be distinguished from Turkey Vultures by their grayish-black skin on their heads. (Turkey Vultures have reddish skin on their heads.) Black Vultures also have a quicker wing-beat and shorter, broader wings. Also note the the whitish wingtips due to the light colored outermost primary feathers.

Members of the genus Coragyps

There are approximately 6 species in this genus:

C. atratus (American Black Vulture) · C. atratus atratus (North American Black Vulture) · C. atratus brasiliensis · C. atratus foetens · C. atratus urubu · C. occidentalis

More Info

• Search for Pictures: images.google.com
• Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
• Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
• Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books

Further Reading

• A bibliography of birds: with special reference to anatomy, behavior, biochemistry --. by Reuben Myron Strong Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History, 1946 UND url p. 243, p. 50.
• A checklist of the vertebrate animals of Kansas / George D. Potts, Joseph T. Collins. [Lawrence, Kan.]: Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, 1991. ENG url p. 8.
• A geographic classification of Neotropical mammals. [Chicago]Chicago Natural History Museum, 1958. ENG url p. 626.
• Anglo-russkii biologicheskii slovar' / [avtory, I. N. Afanas'eva.. . et al.; spetsial'nye nauch. redaktory, O. I. Chibisova i L. A. Koziar]. Moskva: Russkii iazyk, 1979. ENG url p. 695.
• Annotated checklist of bird and mammal species of Cocha Cashu Biological Station, Manu National Park, Peru / John W. Terborgh, John W. Fitzpatrick, Louise Emmons. Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History, 1984. ENG url p. 15.
• Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, -1965. ENG url p. 101, p. 104, p. 118, p. 120, p. 149, p. 150, p. 414, p. 66, p. 94, p. 94, p. 97.
• Bird lice from the Tinamidae. Chicago, 1943. ENG url p. 392.
• BirdLife International. 2000. Threatened Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, U.K.
• BirdLife International. 2004 Threatened Birds of the World 2004. CD-ROM. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K.
• Birds in Kansas / Max C. Thompson and amp; Charles Ely. Lawrence, Kan.: University of Kansas, Museum of Natural History: c1989- ENG url p. 124, p. 397.
• Bulletin - United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.];1877-1971. ENG url p. 19, p. 20, p. 25, p. 28, p. 362, p. 759, p. 760, p. 772.
• Bulletin / Peabody Museum of Natural History. New Haven: The Museum, ENG url p. 101, p. 103.
• Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). London: BM(NH) ENG url p. 156, p. 210.
• Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. Cambridge, Mass.: The Museum, ENG url p. 132, p. 256, p. 290, p. 297, p. 312.
• Catalogue of birds of the Americas and the adjacent islands in Field Museum of Natural History. by Charles E. Hellmayr and Boardman Conover. Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History, 1949. ENG url p. 13, p. 4, p. 5.
• Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum. London, 1874-98. ENG url p. 23, p. 24.
• Check-list and bibliography on the occurrence of insects in birds' nests. Ames, Iowa State College Press[1959] ENG url p. 396.
• Check-list of North American birds / prepared by a committee of the American ornithologists' union. Lancaster, Pa.: The Union, 1931. ENG url p. 427.
• Ectoparasites of Panama. Rupert L. Wenzel [and] Vernon J. Tipton, editors. Chicago, Field Museum of Natural History, 1966. ENG url p. 197, p. 832, p. 860.
• FWS/0BS. [Washington]Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior. ENG url p. 137.
• Miscellaneous publication - University of Kansas, Museum of Natural History. Lawrence, University of Kansas, 1946-1996. ENG url p. 15, p. 16.
• Notes on a collection of birds from Michoacan, Mexico, by Emmet R. Blake and Harold C. Hanson. [Chicago]1942. ENG url p. 516, p. 524, p. 558.
• Occasional papers of the Museum of Natural History, the University of Kansas. Lawrence, Kansas: The University, 1971-1994. ENG url p. 28, p. 7.
• Our living resources: a report to the nation on the distribution, abundance, and health of U.S. plants, animals, and ecosystems / [edited by], Edward T. LaRoe.. . [et al.]. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Biological Service, 1995. ENG url p. 528.
• Postilla. New Haven, Peabody Museum of Natural History, 1950-2004. ENG url p. 13.
• Proceedings of the United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.] ENG url p. 180, p. 236, p. 33, p. 404, p. 530, p. 533, p. 586, p. 593, p. 597, p. 601, p. 617, p. 622.
• Smithsonian miscellaneous collections. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1862-1968. ENG url p. 154, p. 157, p. 36, p. 468, p. 469, p. 471.
• Social feeding behavior of birds. [Chicago]Chicago Natural History Museum, 1954. ENG url p. 13, p. 8.
• The Great Basin naturalist. Provo, Utah, M.L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University. ENG url p. 730.
• The birds of Chile, by Charles E. Hellmayr. Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History, 1932. ENG url p. 292.
• The ecology of delta marshes of coastal Louisiana: a community profile / by James G. Gosselink. Washington, DC: National Coastal Ecosystems Team, Division of Biological Services, Research Development, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior: 1984. ENG url p. 71.

Notes

Contributors

• BirdLife International 2004. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 18, 2008.
• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 and ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 26, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 17 providers.
• Peterson, Alan P. Zoological Nomenclature Resource. Accessed June 19, 2009.
• Pippen, Jeffrey S. Jeff's Nature Page. Accessed December 2, 2007.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 26, 2007:

• Avian Knowledge Network, eBird
• Biologiezentrum der Oberoesterreichischen Landesmuseen, Biologiezentrum Linz
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. Birds
• Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Terrestrial vertebrate specimens
• New Brunswick Museum, NBM birds
• Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara Musem of Natural History
• UNIBIO, IBUNAM, CNAV/Coleccion Nacional de Aves
• University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
• , Bird specimens

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 3851848
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-175272
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13778339
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 175272
• IUCN ID: 49647
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: ABNKA01010
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 218

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