Black Vulture

This Black Vulture was scanning the area, probably hoping to find a delicious rotting carcass [1]. They can be distinguished from their Turkey Vulture relatives because Turkey Vultures have red heads and normal-sized tails (unlike the puny tails of Black Vultures).

And although scavenging death animals is the Black Vulture's main job, they do sometimes kill things as a side gig. Exactly what they'll kill isn't completely clear; there are reports of them killing newborn calves, though some argue they're killing sick calves that probably would have died anyway. They'll also kill wild animals as large as a Woodchuck (AKA Groundhog), though these attacks are probably rare. 

In contrast, Turkey Vultures are pretty close to being pure scavengers.

May 25, 2023 at Duke Farms
Photo 292818955, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

[1] Within the vulture community it's understood that all rotting carcasses are delicious.

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