Black Vulture (Blinking)- Coragyps atratus
Black Vultures are large, but compact raptors. They have small, bare, black heads with narrow but strongly hooked bills. Feathers are black, except for white patches on the underside of their wingtips. These birds are relative newcomers to Connecticut as they were once an exclusively southern species.
Habitat: My son alerted me to the presence of this vulture in our yard by telling me that there was a "black turkey" hopping in the grass, lol. The vulture hopped around a bit, and then sat on the edge of the road for several minutes before retreating into the brush. I thought it was weird that it didn't fly away, and am concerned it could be injured. So, I'll be checking out the brush later today to see if it is still in there.
The black vulture is a bird in the New World vulture family whose range extends from the southeastern United States to Peru, Central Chile and Uruguay in South America. Although a common and widespread species, it has a somewhat more restricted distribution than its compatriot, the turkey vulture, which breeds well into Canada and south to Tierra del Fuego.
