Bluebirds are affable members of the thrush family named for their coloration. There are three species of bluebirds native to North America, each with a different coloration, range, and habitat preferences.
Eastern Bluebird
Male Eastern Bluebird
Identification
Male Eastern Bluebirds have a sky blue back, wings, tail, and head. They have a reddish orange chest and underside as well as a very faint eye ring. Females have a grayish colored head with blue wings and a darker orange underside with a more noticeable eye ring. Both males and females have white on their underside near their legs.
Range
Eastern Bluebirds live year-round in parts of Mexico, Central America, and the Southeastern United States. In summer, many of them move north into the Northeastern United States and Southeastern Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
The diet of Eastern Bluebird varies depending on the time of the year. When insects are available, they make up an extremely large part of their diet. Other times of the year this species eats an array of fruits.
Where to Find This Bird
Eastern Bluebirds can be found around open spaces near edge habitat. Prairies, fields, and pastures are all places where this species can be found regularly in addition to more forested areas as well as around ponds.
Badgerland Birding searches for Eastern Bluebirds
Mountain Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Identification
Male Mountain Bluebirds are bright blue with a white under-tail, and lighter coloration on their lower underside. Females are blueish gray with brighter blue on their tail and wings. Both males and females have a light eye ring.
Range
Mountain Bluebirds are a species of Western North America with a wintering range that dips into Mexico, and a summertime range that reaches into the heart of Alaska. They can be found year round in states such as California, Utah, and Nevada, among others.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Mountain Bluebirds are mostly insectivorous and eat a variety of small invertebrates including grasshoppers, caterpillars, and spiders. They will also eat berries and other fruits including those of sumac and mistletoe.
Where to Find This Bird
Mountain Bluebirds can be found in open spaces such as the edges of prairies and fields. They can also be found in higher elevation places such as mountainsides and coniferous woodlands.
Badgerland Birding searches for a female Mountain Bluebird outside of its normal range
Western Bluebird
Western Bluebird – Photo by Alan Schmierer
Identification
Male Western Bluebirds have a deep blue color on their head, wings, and tail. They have burnt orange on their chest, sides, and back just behind the neck. Females are blueish gray with brighter blue on the wings and tail. They have lighter orange on the chest and sides. Both males and females have an eye ring but females have an eye ring that is more noticeable.
Range
Western Bluebirds have two operate ranges in North America. One population spans from Mexico to the very southern portion of Colorado. Another population resides in Baja California all the way up to Southwestern Canada. Some birds in both populations stay in the same area year round while others move north for the breeding months.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Much of the Western Bluebird’s diet consist of insects and spiders. However, they will also eat certain types of fruits including blackberries, raspberries, chokecherries, and more.
Where to Find This Bird
Western Bluebirds live in conifer and mixed conifer woodlands including pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine habitats. They are most comfortable in woodlands that are more open and have no qualms about living in ares that have been cleared or burned. This species can also be found along forest edges.
Summary
Bluebirds are typically birds that people are happy to see and happy to have in their yards. Knowing more about the species that are expected in your area can be instrumental in finding and identifying them. Hopefully, this article has helped to answer some questions about the bluebirds of North America.
Plovers are a type of shorebird characterized by their round appearance and often look plump. They can be found near water or in open fields. While they are a sub-group of shorebirds, there are many species of plovers in the United States. In this post, you will be able to see all of the expected plovers in Wisconsin.
American Golden-plover
American golden-plover in breeding plumage (Peter Pearsall Photo)
American Golden-plover in nonbreeding plumage (Alan Schmierer Photo)
Identification
The American Golden-plover is quite an impressive looking bird when in breeding plumage. They have a black underside, beautiful golden feathers on the back and wings, and a white marking that goes all the way from the bill to the shoulder. In nonbreeding plumage, American Golden-plovers are buffy colored with gold and brown speckled wings, back, and head. During certain times of the year these birds will be half way between breeding and nonbreeding plumage as they transition.
Range
Like many shorebird species, American Golden-plovers are long distance migrants. They winter in Southeastern South America and fly all the way to their breeding areas in Alaska and the northern most parts of Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
American Golden-plovers feed mostly on invertebrates including insect larva and worms. They have also been known to eat some plant-based foods as well, including berries. This species hunts by running along the ground, periodically stopping to scan for food.
Where to Find this Bird
American Golden-plovers are most often found in the continental United States during fall migration. Some common places to find them are in agricultural fields, along lake shores, and at sod farms.
Black-bellied Plover
Black-bellied Plover in breeding plumage (under the same moon Photo CC by 2.0)
Black-bellied Plover in nonbreeding plumage (Susan Young Photo)
Identification
Black-bellied Plovers are large as far as plovers go, similar in size to American Golden-plovers, but a little more stocky. They have black on their face, chest, and underside, but unlike American Golden-plovers they have a white under tail. They have white mottling on their back and wings as well as a white head and white stripe from the bill down to the shoulders.
In nonbreeding plumage, Black-bellied Plovers are much more sandy colored with darker shades on the wings, back, and head. In both breeding and nonbreeding plumage, this species shows black patches under the wing, visible in flight.
Range
The Black-bellied Plover is extremely widespread across the globe with numerous sightings in every continent except for Antarctica. In North America, they summer in the most Northern parts of Canada and migrate south to the coasts of both the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. During migration, they can be found inland on an annual basis.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Black-bellied Plovers eat a wide variety of invertebrates including insects, worms, urchins, crabs and much more. They will forage in farm fields and on mud flats in both fresh and salt water.
Where to Find this Bird
The best time to find Black-bellied Plovers is during winter and during fall migration. In winter, both the Atlantic and the Pacific coasts of the United States play host to the species. Look for them on beaches, mudflats, and break walls where they will be sitting on large rocks. During migration, sod farms, agricultural fields, and the shores of inland lakes are good places to search for Black-bellied Plovers.
Killdeer
Killdeer (Tom Koerner Photo)
Identification
The Killdeer is a widespread and recognizable bird in the plover family. They have a brown head, back, and wings, with a white underside. They have several black markings on their chest and head with two bands on their chest and two on the head with one of the stripes on the forehead and another looking something like a mustache. They have a rusty colored tail and a noticeable red eye.
Range
Killdeer do not migrate as far as other plover species, and many of them live in the United States and parts of Western South America year round. The Killdeer that do migrate, go from Northern South America, Central America, and Southern Mexico, into the United States, and end up breeding in either the U.S. or Southern Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Killdeer run along the ground as they forage for food. They consume mostly invertebrates such as grasshoppers, worms, snails, and insect larva. They will forage both near water as well as in drier open areas.
Where to Find this Bird
Killdeer are common throughout most of the United States in the summer and are one of the first birds to return north in spring. Look for them in open areas with a lot of flat land such as athletic fields, sod farms, plowed fields, and even gravel lots. Listen for their “kill-deer” call as the walk around or fly over.
Other Notes: Killdeer are known for doing a broken wing display to distract predators and eventually lead them away from their nests. This behavior can be seen often during the nesting season.
Piping Plover
Piping Plover in breeding plumage (Derek Sallmann Photo)
Piping Plover in nonbreeding plumage (Ryan Sallmann Photo)
Identification
Piping Plovers are relatively small plovers with a brownish gray back and head, with a white underside, and white stripe over the eye. In breeding plumage, this species has black on the forehead and black around the neck. Nonbreeding adults and immature birds lack these black markings.
Range
Piping Plovers winter on the Southern Atlantic Coast as well as the Gulf Coast. In spring they move north to their breeding areas in the North-central United States, South-central Canada, the Northeastern United States, and some of the Great Lakes states.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Piping Plovers forage near the edge of the water searching for small invertebrates. They will forage in both marine and freshwater environments.
Where to Find this Bird
Piping Plovers breed in areas with sandy beaches and sparse vegetation. They show up along lake shores, ocean coastlines, and even rivers during migration.
In Wisconsin, there are islands that Piping Plovers breed on, but many of these areas are restricted. A few of them typically show up along Lake Michigan each year, but with more and more reports being hidden as people don’t want others disturbing the nests. As a result, they are becoming increasingly difficult to locate.
Semipalmated Plover
Semipalmated Plover in breeding plumage (Ryan Sallmann Photo)
Semipalmated Plover in nonbreeding plumage (Ryan Sallmann photo)
Identification
Semipalmated Plovers are on the small side for shorebirds and have a brown back and wings, and a white underside. In breeding plumage they have a black band on their upper chest as well as a black mask. In nonbreeding plumage, the black on this species is much less visible or gone altogether.
Range
Semipalmated Plovers breed in the arctic and make their way south in fall. They winter along the ocean coasts of the United States, Mexico, and South America. They move through most regions of the United States in fall.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Semipalmated Plovers feed near the waters edge and occasionally wade in to very shallow water. They eat mostly aquatic invertebrates including worms and small crustaceans.
Where to Find this Bird
For people who live on the ocean coastlines, look for Semipalmated Plovers on beaches and mudflats in winter. For those that live in the interior of the country, the best time to see this species is during fall migration where they can be fund on inland lakes and sandbars.
In Wisconsin, Semipalmated Plovers are reliably found along Lake Michigan. I have always had success finding them along the beaches in Milwaukee.
Summary
Plovers are a fascinating and cute looking group of shorebirds that are certainly worth knowing more about. Getting acquainted with these five species can make it much easier to know what to expect in the field.
Vultures are large birds of prey that normally have a head or neck that is often devoid of feathers. Due to their habits of feeding on carrion, they have gotten a bad reputation, however their ecological niche is valuable and they are quite interesting birds. There are three different vulture species that can be found in North America. The Turkey Vulture is migratory and can be found in more parts of North America during the spring, summer, and fall, and Black Vulture is a permanent resident of southern and eastern areas of North America. The California Condor is non-migratory and can only be found in select areas. There are not any wild vultures that are commonly found in Hawaii, but here are the three that can be found in North America.
Vultures of North America
Turkey Vulture
Turkey Vulture (Cape Hatteras National Seashore Photo)
Turkey Vulture in flight (Brad Sutton Photo)
Identification
The Turkey Vulture is a large brown bird with a pinkish head that is featherless. In flight, the trailing edge of the wings will show white feathers, with the rest of the underside of the bird being brown. Turkey Vulture will often be seen soaring overhead, or perched on cliffs or other tall structures. They can also be seen near roadsides feeding on carrion.
Range
In North America, Turkey Vultures can be seen in southern states and central America year round. They move into northern states and Southern Canada during the summer.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Turkey Vultures feed mostly on dead prey such as roadkill or carrion. It is said that Turkey Vultures will never attack live prey. They serve as a valuable “clean-up crew” in the ecosystems they inhabit.
Where to Find this Bird
Look for Turkey Vultures soaring overhead or perching up on high structures such as signs, power lines, cliffs, or tall trees. They will often roost or feed in groups. Also keep an eye out for these birds feeding in open areas or roadsides.
Black Vulture in flight (cuatrok77 photo – CC by 2.0)
Identification
Black Vultures look similar to turkey vultures except they have an all black head and appear to have white/gray wingtips when viewed from below, as opposed to white on the trailing wing edge, among other features.
Learn how to differentiate Black Vultures from Turkey Vultures
Range
The Black Vulture can be found in many southern and southeastern states in the U.S. as well as in Central America. They are often seen as vagrants in more northern states in the U.S.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Much like the Turkey Vulture, Black Vultures will feed on roadkill and carrion, often large mammals. However, unlike the Turkey Vulture, they have also been known to eat weak, or dying live prey.
Where to Find this Bird
Black Vultures can be seen soaring overhead, or perched on powerlines, snags, cliffs, or on other tall structures. They can also sometimes be seen in mixed groups of other raptors such as Turkey Vultures.
California Condor
California Condor (Scott Flaherty Photo – CC by 2.0)
California Condor in flight (USFWS Photo)
Identification
The largest wild birds in North America, California Condors also have a striking appearance to go along with their large size. Adults have an orange-yellow, featherless head, with black wings and white wing patches that can be seen on the underside of their wings. Juveniles will have a darker colored head.
Range
California Condors were once thought to have roamed all over North America, however their population declined throughout the 1900s, so much so that all wild condors were captured in the 1980s. The 27 remaining birds were put into captive breeding programs. Birds were bred and released back into the wild successfully and by 2016, the total population was up to 446 birds. California Condors were released into California, and Arizona, with the Arizona population expanding into Utah and Nevada. These populations are non-migratory although one or two birds may stray away from time to time.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
California Condors feed on carrion, including terrestrial and marine mammals.
Where to Find this Bird
California Condors can only be found in select areas and are most easily seen soaring. Keep an eye out for tags on their wings indicating an individual bird. The Grand Canyon and other breathtaking, dry landscapes in California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada are the best places to find condors. Look for recent reports on eBird to locate where certain individuals were last seen.
Which of these species have you seen? Leave a comment below and thanks for reading!
Vultures are large birds of prey that normally have a head or neck that is often devoid of feathers. Due to their habits of feeding on carrion, they have gotten a bad reputation, however their ecological niche is valuable and they are quite interesting birds. There is one vulture species that can be reliably found in North Dakota: The Turkey Vulture. Turkey Vultures are common, and can be seen in the spring, summer, and fall. Another vulture species, the Black Vulture, which is more of a southern species, has never shown up in North Dakota, but theoretically could, so it’s important to know about them as well.
Vultures of North Dakota
Turkey Vulture
Turkey Vulture (Cape Hatteras National Seashore Photo)
Turkey Vulture in flight (Brad Sutton Photo)
Identification
The Turkey Vulture is a large brown bird with a pinkish head that is featherless. In flight, the trailing edge of the wings will show white feathers, with the rest of the underside of the bird being brown. Turkey Vultures will often be seen soaring overhead, or perched on cliffs or other tall structures. They can also be seen near roadsides feeding on carrion.
Range
In North America, Turkey Vultures can be seen in southern states and central America year round. They move into northern states and Southern Canada during the summer. The Turkey Vulture can normally be seen in North Dakota during the spring, summer, and fall.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Turkey Vultures feed mostly on dead prey such as roadkill or carrion. It is said that Turkey Vultures will never attack live prey. They serve as a valuable “clean-up crew” in the ecosystems they inhabit.
Where to Find this Bird
Look for Turkey Vultures soaring overhead or perching up on high structures such as signs, power lines, cliffs, or tall trees. They will often roost or feed in groups. Also keep an eye out for these birds feeding in open areas or roadsides.
Black Vulture (Has Never Shown Up in North Dakota But Might One Day)
Black Vulture in flight (cuatrok77 photo – CC by 2.0)
Identification
Black Vultures look similar to turkey vultures except they have an all black head and appear to have white/gray wingtips when viewed from below, as opposed to white on the trailing wing edge, among other features.
Learn how to differentiate Black Vultures from Turkey Vultures
Range
The Black Vulture can be found in many southern and southeastern states in the U.S. as well as in Central America. They are often seen as vagrants in more northern states in the U.S.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Much like the Turkey Vulture, Black Vultures will feed on roadkill and carrion, often large mammals. However, unlike the Turkey Vulture, they have also been known to eat weak, or dying live prey.
Where to Find this Bird
Black Vultures can be seen soaring overhead, or perched on powerlines, snags, cliffs, or on other tall structures. They can also sometimes be seen in mixed groups of other raptors such as Turkey Vultures. They have never been documented in North Dakota but could show up one day.
Which of these species have you seen? Leave a comment below and thanks for reading!
Vultures are large birds of prey that normally have a head or neck that is often devoid of feathers. Due to their habits of feeding on carrion, they have gotten a bad reputation, however their ecological niche is valuable and they are quite interesting birds. There is one vulture species that can be reliably found in Idaho: The Turkey Vulture. Turkey Vultures are common, and can be seen in the spring, summer, and fall.
Vultures of Idaho
Turkey Vulture
Turkey Vulture (Cape Hatteras National Seashore Photo)
Turkey Vulture in flight (Brad Sutton Photo)
Identification
The Turkey Vulture is a large brown bird with a pinkish head that is featherless. In flight, the trailing edge of the wings will show white feathers, with the rest of the underside of the bird being brown. Turkey Vultures will often be seen soaring overhead, or perched on cliffs or other tall structures. They can also be seen near roadsides feeding on carrion.
Range
In North America, Turkey Vultures can be seen in southern states and central America year round. They move into northern states and Southern Canada during the summer. The Turkey Vulture can normally be seen in Idaho during the spring, summer, and fall.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Turkey Vultures feed mostly on dead prey such as roadkill or carrion. It is said that Turkey Vultures will never attack live prey. They serve as a valuable “clean-up crew” in the ecosystems they inhabit.
Where to Find this Bird
Look for Turkey Vultures soaring overhead or perching up on high structures such as signs, power lines, cliffs, or tall trees. They will often roost or feed in groups. Also keep an eye out for these birds feeding in open areas or roadsides.
Which of these species have you seen? Leave a comment below and thanks for reading!
Vultures are large birds of prey that normally have a head or neck that is often devoid of feathers. Due to their habits of feeding on carrion, they have gotten a bad reputation, however their ecological niche is valuable and they are quite interesting birds. There is one vulture species that can be reliably found in Washington: The Turkey Vulture. Turkey Vultures are common, and can be seen in the spring, summer, and fall.
Vultures of Washington
Turkey Vulture
Turkey Vulture (Cape Hatteras National Seashore Photo)
Turkey Vulture in flight (Brad Sutton Photo)
Identification
The Turkey Vulture is a large brown bird with a pinkish head that is featherless. In flight, the trailing edge of the wings will show white feathers, with the rest of the underside of the bird being brown. Turkey Vultures will often be seen soaring overhead, or perched on cliffs or other tall structures. They can also be seen near roadsides feeding on carrion.
Range
In North America, Turkey Vultures can be seen in southern states and central America year round. They move into northern states and Southern Canada during the summer. The Turkey Vulture can normally be seen in Washington during the spring, summer, and fall.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Turkey Vultures feed mostly on dead prey such as roadkill or carrion. It is said that Turkey Vultures will never attack live prey. They serve as a valuable “clean-up crew” in the ecosystems they inhabit.
Where to Find this Bird
Look for Turkey Vultures soaring overhead or perching up on high structures such as signs, power lines, cliffs, or tall trees. They will often roost or feed in groups. Also keep an eye out for these birds feeding in open areas or roadsides.
Which of these species have you seen? Leave a comment below and thanks for reading!
Vultures are large birds of prey that normally have a head or neck that is often devoid of feathers. Due to their habits of feeding on carrion, they have gotten a bad reputation, however their ecological niche is valuable and they are quite interesting birds. There are two different vulture species that can be found in Texas, known as Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures. Both can be found year round in Texas.
Vultures of Texas
Turkey Vulture
Turkey Vulture (Cape Hatteras National Seashore Photo)
Turkey Vulture in flight (Brad Sutton Photo)
Identification
The Turkey Vulture is a large brown bird with a pinkish head that is featherless. In flight, the trailing edge of the wings will show white feathers, with the rest of the underside of the bird being brown. Turkey Vulture will often be seen soaring overhead, or perched on cliffs or other tall structures. They can also be seen near roadsides feeding on carrion.
Range
In North America, Turkey Vultures can be seen in southern states and central America year round. They move into northern states and Southern Canada during the summer. Turkey Vultures can be found in Texas year round, with their range expanding to cover more of the state during their breeding season.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Turkey Vultures feed mostly on dead prey such as roadkill or carrion. It is said that Turkey Vultures will never attack live prey. They serve as a valuable “clean-up crew” in the ecosystems they inhabit.
Where to Find this Bird
Look for Turkey Vultures soaring overhead or perching up on high structures such as signs, power lines, cliffs, or tall trees. They will often roost or feed in groups. Also keep an eye out for these birds feeding in open areas or roadsides.
Black Vulture in flight (cuatrok77 photo – CC by 2.0)
Identification
Black Vultures look similar to turkey vultures except they have an all black head and appear to have white/gray wingtips when viewed from below, as opposed to white on the trailing wing edge, among other features.
Learn how to differentiate Black Vultures from Turkey Vultures
Range
The Black Vulture can be found in many southern and southeastern states in the U.S. as well as in Central America. They are often seen as vagrants in more northern states in the U.S. In Texas they can be found year round in the southeastern part of the state and are more rare in the north and western parts of Texas.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Much like the Turkey Vulture, Black Vultures will feed on roadkill and carrion, often large mammals. However, unlike the Turkey Vulture, they have also been known to eat weak, or dying live prey.
Where to Find this Bird
Black Vultures can be seen soaring overhead, or perched on powerlines, snags, cliffs, or on other tall structures. They can also sometimes be seen in mixed groups of other raptors such as Turkey Vultures.
Which of these species have you seen? Leave a comment below and thanks for reading!
Vultures are large birds of prey that normally have a head or neck that is often devoid of feathers. Due to their habits of feeding on carrion, they have gotten a bad reputation, however their ecological niche is valuable and they are quite interesting birds. There are two different vulture species that can be found in Colorado, known as Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures. Turkey Vulture are common in the spring, summer, and fall, while Black Vultures are very infrequent visitors that may show up from time to time.
Vultures of Colorado
Turkey Vulture
Turkey Vulture (Cape Hatteras National Seashore Photo)
Turkey Vulture in flight (Brad Sutton Photo)
Identification
The Turkey Vulture is a large brown bird with a pinkish head that is featherless. In flight, the trailing edge of the wings will show white feathers, with the rest of the underside of the bird being brown. Turkey Vulture will often be seen soaring overhead, or perched on cliffs or other tall structures. They can also be seen near roadsides feeding on carrion.
Range
In North America, Turkey Vultures can be seen in southern states and central America year round. They move into northern states and Southern Canada during the summer. Turkey Vultures can be found in Colorado in the spring, summer, and fall, as they move into their breeding grounds.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Turkey Vultures feed mostly on dead prey such as roadkill or carrion. It is said that Turkey Vultures will never attack live prey. They serve as a valuable “clean-up crew” in the ecosystems they inhabit.
Where to Find this Bird
Look for Turkey Vultures soaring overhead or perching up on high structures such as signs, power lines, cliffs, or tall trees. They will often roost or feed in groups. Also keep an eye out for these birds feeding in open areas or roadsides.
Black Vulture in flight (cuatrok77 photo – CC by 2.0)
Identification
Black Vultures look similar to turkey vultures except they have an all black head and appear to have white/gray wingtips when viewed from below, as opposed to white on the trailing wing edge, among other features.
Learn how to differentiate Black Vultures from Turkey Vultures
Range
The Black Vulture can be found in many southern and southeastern states in the U.S. as well as in Central America. They are often seen as vagrants in more northern states in the U.S. In Colorado, they have only ever been reported a few times. Keep an eye out for this rare species to show up in the future.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Much like the Turkey Vulture, Black Vultures will feed on roadkill and carrion, often large mammals. However, unlike the Turkey Vulture, they have also been known to eat weak, or dying live prey.
Where to Find this Bird
Black Vultures can be seen soaring overhead, or perched on powerlines, snags, cliffs, or on other tall structures. They can also sometimes be seen in mixed groups of other raptors such as Turkey Vultures.
Which of these species have you seen? Leave a comment below and thanks for reading!
Vultures are large birds of prey that normally have a head or neck that is often devoid of feathers. Due to their habits of feeding on carrion, they have gotten a bad reputation, however their ecological niche is valuable and they are quite interesting birds. There are three different vulture species that can be found in California. The Turkey Vulture is migratory and can be found in more parts of California during the spring, summer, and fall. The Black Vulture occasionally shows up in California. The California Condor is non-migratory and can only be found in select areas of California.
Vultures of California
Turkey Vulture
Turkey Vulture (Cape Hatteras National Seashore Photo)
Turkey Vulture in flight (Brad Sutton Photo)
Identification
The Turkey Vulture is a large brown bird with a pinkish head that is featherless. In flight, the trailing edge of the wings will show white feathers, with the rest of the underside of the bird being brown. Turkey Vulture will often be seen soaring overhead, or perched on cliffs or other tall structures. They can also be seen near roadsides feeding on carrion.
Range
In North America, Turkey Vultures can be seen in southern states and central America year round. They move into northern states and Southern Canada during the summer.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Turkey Vultures feed mostly on dead prey such as roadkill or carrion. It is said that Turkey Vultures will never attack live prey. They serve as a valuable “clean-up crew” in the ecosystems they inhabit.
Where to Find this Bird
Look for Turkey Vultures soaring overhead or perching up on high structures such as signs, power lines, cliffs, or tall trees. They will often roost or feed in groups. Also keep an eye out for these birds feeding in open areas or roadsides.
Black Vulture in flight (cuatrok77 photo – CC by 2.0)
Identification
Black Vultures look similar to turkey vultures except they have an all black head and appear to have white/gray wingtips when viewed from below, as opposed to white on the trailing wing edge, among other features.
Learn how to differentiate Black Vultures from Turkey Vultures
Range
The Black Vulture can be found in many southern and southeastern states in the U.S. as well as in Central America. They are often seen as vagrants in more northern states in the U.S. Black Vultures are not common in California but do show up yearly in small numbers throughout the year.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Much like the Turkey Vulture, Black Vultures will feed on roadkill and carrion, often large mammals. However, unlike the Turkey Vulture, they have also been known to eat weak, or dying live prey.
Where to Find this Bird
Black Vultures can be seen soaring overhead, or perched on powerlines, snags, cliffs, or on other tall structures. They can also sometimes be seen in mixed groups of other raptors such as Turkey Vultures.
California Condor
California Condor (Scott Flaherty Photo – CC by 2.0)
California Condor in flight (USFWS Photo)
Identification
The largest wild birds in North America, California Condors also have a striking appearance to go along with their large size. Adults have an orange-yellow, featherless head, with black wings and white wing patches that can be seen on the underside of their wings. Juveniles will have a darker colored head.
Range
California Condors were once thought to have roamed all over North America, however their population declined throughout the 1900s, so much so that all wild condors were captured in the 1980s. The 27 remaining birds were put into captive breeding programs. Birds were bred and released back into the wild successfully and by 2016, the total population was up to 446 birds. California Condors were released into California, and Arizona, with the Arizona population expanding into Utah and Nevada. These populations are non-migratory although one or two birds may stray away from time to time. In California, Pinnacles National Park may be a good location to look for condors.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
California Condors feed on carrion, including terrestrial and marine mammals.
Where to Find this Bird
California Condors can only be found in select areas and are most easily seen soaring. Keep an eye out for tags on their wings indicating an individual bird. The Grand Canyon and other breathtaking, dry landscapes in California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada are the best places to find condors. Look for recent reports on eBird to locate where certain individuals were last seen.
Which of these species have you seen? Leave a comment below and thanks for reading!
Vultures are large birds of prey that normally have a head or neck that is often devoid of feathers. Due to their habits of feeding on carrion, they have gotten a bad reputation, however their ecological niche is valuable and they are quite interesting birds. There are two different vulture species that can be found in the Atlantic Coast, known as Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures. Both can be found year round in these coastal areas.
Vultures of the Atlantic Coast
Turkey Vulture
Turkey Vulture (Cape Hatteras National Seashore Photo)
Turkey Vulture in flight (Brad Sutton Photo)
Identification
The Turkey Vulture is a large brown bird with a pinkish head that is featherless. In flight, the trailing edge of the wings will show white feathers, with the rest of the underside of the bird being brown. Turkey Vulture will often be seen soaring overhead, or perched on cliffs or other tall structures. They can also be seen near roadsides feeding on carrion.
Range
In North America, Turkey Vultures can be seen in southern states and central America year round. They move into northern states and Southern Canada during the summer. Turkey Vultures can be found on the southern Atlantic Coast year round, although their range expands northward in the summer.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Turkey Vultures feed mostly on dead prey such as roadkill or carrion. It is said that Turkey Vultures will never attack live prey. They serve as a valuable “clean-up crew” in the ecosystems they inhabit.
Where to Find this Bird
Look for Turkey Vultures soaring overhead or perching up on high structures such as signs, power lines, cliffs, or tall trees. They will often roost or feed in groups. Also keep an eye out for these birds feeding in open areas or roadsides.
Black Vulture in flight (cuatrok77 photo – CC by 2.0)
Identification
Black Vultures look similar to turkey vultures except they have an all black head and appear to have white/gray wingtips when viewed from below, as opposed to white on the trailing wing edge, among other features.
Learn how to differentiate Black Vultures from Turkey Vultures
Range
The Black Vulture can be found in many southern and southeastern states in the U.S. as well as in Central America. They are often seen as vagrants in more northern states in the U.S. On the Atlantic Coast, they can be found year round in the southeastern states, although some may show up further north as vagrants.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Much like the Turkey Vulture, Black Vultures will feed on roadkill and carrion, often large mammals. However, unlike the Turkey Vulture, they have also been known to eat weak, or dying live prey.
Where to Find this Bird
Black Vultures can be seen soaring overhead, or perched on powerlines, snags, cliffs, or on other tall structures. They can also sometimes be seen in mixed groups of other raptors such as Turkey Vultures.
Which of these species have you seen? Leave a comment below and thanks for reading!
