Black Vulture

Who's the most beautiful scavenging raptor in New Jersey? It's hard to say, but Black Vultures are certainly in the top 2 [1] [2], up there with our Turkey Vultures. Other than a little obstruction from branches, this fella took a pretty nice-looking picture.

As related species with similar appetites, it's expected that Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures will show up at the same carcass. I've heard somewhat different things about the carcass pecking order:

  1. Black Vultures are more aggressive and will dominate the carcass.
  2. Turkey Vultures, who are slightly larger, will dominate the carcass unless the Black Vultures outnumber them.
Unfortunately I haven't seen enough carcasses to give you a personal opinion on carcass pecking order (though I suspect if a Bald Eagle flew in, it would get more than its fair share [3] [4]).

February 8, 2023 at Duke Farms
Photo 263480504, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

[1] New Jersey has only 2 vulture species, the Black Vulture and the Turkey Vulture. And while California has its condors, NJ sadly lacks a species of condor.

[2] For the purposes of this discussion I'm not considering the eagles and hawks who are raptors that will scavenge when they get an opportunity, or the crows and ravens that aren't considered raptors. I'm just talking about the raptors who "make a living" scavenging.

[3] Bald Eagles are at least twice the size of either of our vultures, and eagle talons are much more dangerous than vulture talons.

[4] AFAIK Bald Eagles don't have the acidic stomachs needed to handle the bacteria from a seriously decomposing carcass. I suspect that eagles will scavenge fresher carcasses while leaving the older 1s for the vultures.

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