Black Vulture

Coragyps atratus

The black vulture (Coragyps atratus) is a compact New World vulture found from the southeastern United States through Central and South America. It has black plumage, a bare gray-black head, broad wings with pale patches near the tips, and a shorter tail than the turkey vulture. Black vultures feed mainly on carrion but may also take eggs, newborn livestock, or small vulnerable animals in some situations. They often forage and roost communally and locate food partly by following other vultures.

Human management includes wildlife rehabilitation, zoo care, roadkill ecology, and conflict response around farms, landfills, and roost sites. Rehabilitators need large flight space, careful diet hygiene, and permits because vultures are protected in many places. Livestock conflicts are handled through documentation, carcass cleanup, approved deterrents, and agency guidance rather than casual shooting. In conservation education, black vultures are useful for explaining how scavengers recycle nutrients, reduce waste, and still need management when dense roosts overlap with people.