Different Kinds of Vultures

The image of a vulture can be unpleasant, as its presence signifies a dead or dying animal is near. While vultures will seek out carcasses, their ability to clean up the dead and destroy potentially diseased animals is of benefit to humans. They serve a great purpose in the food chain. There are several breeds of vultures. While you may not at first see their interesting characteristics, each is distinctive in their own way.

  1. Turkey Vulture

    • Turkey vultures are large, dark birds with long, wide wingspans. Found in North, South and Central America, they prefer to glide along thermal air drafts, as they are not strong flyers. You will see them in groups wobbling through the air on drafts that allow them to smell the food they are looking for. Unlike the black vulture, they find food based on a highly developed sense of smell. You can identify them in flight because of their raised wings, which form a "V." These vultures appear black from a distance, but are actually brown, with a featherless red head and pale bill.

    Black Vulture

    • The black vulture occupies the same geographical areas as the turkey vulture. It is a larger vulture, twice as large in both size and wingspan. Black vultures are strong flyers that hunt by sight instead of smell. You will find them gathered around trash dumps and slaughterhouses looking for leftover food, but their flying skills and keen vision allow them to hunt and kill animals as well. A large white patch underneath their wings is visible as they are in flight, and serves as another way to visually distinguish them from turkey vultures.

    King Vulture

    • The King vulture is also known as the American king vulture. It has a colorful plumage that includes a yellow-crested bill and yellow and red bare skin on its head. This vulture is a tropical vulture that resides only in the warm forest areas of Central America, including Brazil. Its primary food is the dead carcasses of animals. It does not kill the food it eats. At best, it may attack a dying animal, but this is rare. In captivity these vultures feed only on dead animals.

    Cape Griffon Vulture

    • Cape Griffon vultures are seen as Old World or early species vultures. They are found mainly in Africa, specifically south and southwest Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and the southeastern Republic of South Africa. They seek out their food by sight, and often, one vulture's prize will quickly be discovered by others who see him circling the prey. This leads to vicious fights over the carcass. Cape Griffon vultures are known for having powerful beaks capable of rapidly tearing and consuming up to three pounds of food in a few minutes. Because of this, fights over food will be intense, but end quickly.