About the Black Vulture
The black vulture, also known as the American black vulture, Mexican vulture, zopilote, urubu, or gallinazo, 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, and common throughout Brazil where it can be seen in large scavenging groups. 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 all the way south to Tierra del Fuego. It is the only extant member of the genus Coragyps, which is in the family Cathartidae. Despite the similar name and appearance, this species is not closely related to the Eurasian black vulture, an Old World vulture, of the family Accipitridae. For ease of locating animal corpses, black vultures tend to inhabit relatively open areas with scattered trees, such as chaparral, in addition to subtropical forested areas and parts of the Brazilian pantanal.
Source: Wikipedia
Taxonomy & Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Cathartiformes |
| Family | New World Vultures (Cathartidae) |
| Species | Coragyps atratus |
| Species Codes | blkvul, BLVU, ABVU |
Frequently Asked Questions
What family does the Black Vulture belong to?
The Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) belongs to the New World Vultures family (Cathartidae), in the order Cathartiformes.
How can I identify the Black Vulture?
The black vulture, also known as the American black vulture, Mexican vulture, zopilote, urubu, or gallinazo, 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, and common throughout Brazil where it ca...
Where can I report a Black Vulture sighting?
You can log sightings of Black Vulture on eBird (ebird.org) using species code blkvul, or on iNaturalist.