Coastal Carolina

Coragyps atratus HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 22 inches Wingspan: 54 inches * Sexes similar * Large, broad-winged, soaring bird * Tail short and squared-off * Rather long, thick, gray legs * Longish, hooked, dark bill * Holds wings flat while soaring and gliding * Flies with several quick flaps and a brief glide * Unfeathered, gray head and throat * Plumage entirely black except for whitish outer primaries * Immature similar to adult Similar species: The Turkey Vulture is also dark with an unfeathered head, but has a much different shape in flight. The Turkey Vulture is long-winged and long-tailed and flies with a pronounced dihedral angle to the wings. Turkey Vultures lack the white patch at the wingtips and show contrast between paler flight feathers and darker coverts. Eagles are larger with feathered heads and different patterns of white in the wings and tail. Dark morph hawks have longer tails usually with white markings and feathered heads.

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HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 25 inches Wingspan: 72 inches * Sexes similar * Very large, broad-winged, soaring bird * Long and rounded tail * Longish, hooked bill * Rather short, thick legs * Holds wings in a dihedral angle while soaring and gliding * Spends most time soaring, infrequent flaps are slow and laborious * Small, unfeathered head * Plumage dark brown except for paler flight feathers, appearing black and gray * Immature like adult Adult: * Red head * Yellowish bill * Reddish legs Immature: * Gray head * Gray bill * Gray legs Similar species: The Black Vulture is also dark with an unfeathered head, but has a much differet shape in flight. It is short-winged, short-tailed, and intersperses glides on flat wings with quick, snappy wingbeats. Turkey Vultures lack the white patch at the wingtips and show contrast between paler flight feathers and darker coverts. Bald and Golden eagles are both superficially similar, but fly on flat wings, have feathered heads, and do not have contrastingly gray flight feathers. The Zone-tailed Hawk in the Southwest has a similar shape and flight style, but has a feathered head and white bands on a black tail.

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Cathartes aura HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 25 inches Wingspan: 72 inches * Sexes similar * Very large, broad-winged, soaring bird * Long and rounded tail * Longish, hooked bill * Rather short, thick legs * Holds wings in a dihedral angle while soaring and gliding * Spends most time soaring, infrequent flaps are slow and laborious * Small, unfeathered head * Plumage dark brown except for paler flight feathers, appearing black and gray * Immature like adult Adult: * Red head * Yellowish bill * Reddish legs Immature: * Gray head * Gray bill * Gray legs Similar species: The Black Vulture is also dark with an unfeathered head, but has a much differet shape in flight. It is short-winged, short-tailed, and intersperses glides on flat wings with quick, snappy wingbeats. Turkey Vultures lack the white patch at the wingtips and show contrast between paler flight feathers and darker coverts. Bald and Golden eagles are both superficially similar, but fly on flat wings, have feathered heads, and do not have contrastingly gray flight feathers. The Zone-tailed Hawk in the Southwest has a similar shape and flight style, but has a feathered head and white bands on a black tail.

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