Black Vulture

The Black Vulture is a relatively new addition to New Hampshire’s avifauna. It is common across all of Latin America and the southeastern United States, and in the late 20th century began to expand northward, reaching southern New England by the 1980s. Now it is reliably found in small numbers in parts of southern New Hampshire, particularly in the Connecticut River Valley. Although breeding has yet to be confirmed in the Granite State, vulture nests are notoriously difficult to find and it’s likely this species is nesting in rocky outcrops somewhere along the Connecticut River, or perhaps in the Pawtuckaway area.

Black Vultures are most likely to be found in the company of the more common Turkey Vulture, especially at roost sites and in kettles soaring overhead. They are readily distinguished by a combination of shorter tails, black (vs. dark brown) plumage, and distinctive white patches in the wings. Their gray unfeathered heads are also distinctive but note that young turkey Vultures will take several months to acquire their characteristic pinkish-red heads.

Unlike Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures have a poor sense of smell and rely on sight to locate the carcasses on which they feed. They often follow their more keen-scented relatives to a food source, and sometimes even displace them through sheer force of numbers. This aggressive streak in the Black Vulture sometimes results in conflicts with people when the vultures take an interest in live prey such as newly born livestock. Such conflicts with human interests may be on the increase but are unlikely to be an issue in New England given low population numbers.