Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)

OTHER NAMES: American Black Vulture
Latin Etymology: Coragyps ("raven vulture") atratus ("clothed in black")

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) at Tarcoles, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Coragyps atratus brasiliensis
Weight: 1.2-3kg  /  Length: 56-74cm  /  Wingspan: 1.3-1.67m
NO UK STATUS/ IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Found from New York to nearly the Southern most tip of South America, the Black Vulture (not to be confused with the Eurasian Black Vulture) is a versatile scavenger found across a wide range of habitats and climate zones.  Unlike the turkey vulture, they are a sight based scavenger and will follow other species to carcasses if they cannot find one themselves. They are also known to congregate at landfill sites to feed, and are generally opportunistic in their hunting.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Cathartidae
Genus: Coragyps
SUBSPECIES: C. a. atratus, C. a. foetens, C. a. brasiliensis (none universally recognised)

 - Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA 

A widespread and fairly common resident.
 - COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

OTHER NAMES: Buzzard
Latin Etymology: Cathartes ("cleanser") aura (based on an indigineous Mexican name for species)

Adult Turkey Vulture (subspecies C. a. meridionalis) at Berkeley, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: Western Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura meridionalis)
Weight: 0.8-2.4kg  /  Length: 62-81cm  /  Wingspan: 160-183cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Turkey Vulture is a member of the New-World Vultures, a group that is evolutionarily distinct from the Vultures featured on this website to date, belonging to their own separate family. The Turkey vulture is probably the archetypal bird of this family, a large black bird with a bright red head which feeds on carrion. They were one of the commonest raptors we encountered on the trip, particularly in hilly areas where they were often thermaling.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Cathartidae
Genus: Cathartes
SUBSPECIES: C. a. aura, C. a. jota, C. a. meridionalis, C. a. ruficollis, C. a. septentrionalis

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Found throughout the Lower 48 - Summer visitor to more Northern states, resident in the South
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at San Jose, Berkeley, Hayward and Big Sur

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)

OTHER NAMES: Lammergeier, Ossifrage 
Latin Etymology: Gypaetus ("Vulture eagle") barbatus ("bearded")

1st Summer Female Bearded Vulture (subspecies G. b. aureus) at Cowbit, Lincolnshire - October 2020

Featured Subspecies: Gypaetus barbatus aureus
Weight: 4.5-7.1kg  /  Length: 105-125cm  /  Wingspan: 250-282cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

The Bearded Vulture is truely one of the more unusual species of raptor - while the other species of vulture have adapted to feeding on carrion, the Lammergeier is a specialist of bone and marrow. They can digest bone itself, and where they are too large to deal with directly, will drop them from great heights to break into them marrow. One of the largest flying bird species in the world, while their range spreads across Africa, Asia and Europe, they are generally confined to isolated pockets in mountainous regions. This particular individual was particularly unusual - while the reintroduced population in the Alps had been expanding rapidly, this third generation young female flew off and ended up moving around the UK.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Gypaetus
SUBSPECIES: G. b. barbatus, G. b. aureus, G. b. meridionalis, G. b. hemachalanus 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A vagrant, believed to be originating in the reintroduced population in the Alps

 - A 1st Summer female was a vagrant in the Summer of 2020, seen at Cowbit in Lincolnshire.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus)

OTHER NAMES: Pharoah's Chicken

Latin Etymology: Neophron (after a mythic trickster turned into a vulture) percnopterus ("dark winged")

Adult Egyptian Vulture (subspecies N. p. percnopterus) at Monfrague National Park, Spain - April 2016

Featured Subspecies: Neophron percnopterus percnopterus

Weight: 1.5-2.4kg  /  Length: 52-56cm  /  Wingspan: 150-180cm

NO UK STATUS /  IUCN Red List: Endangered

An example of drastic species decline; a bird book I have from the year I was born describes it as "the smallest and commonest of Europe's vultures" - now it is considered endangered by the IUCN after massive population declines across it's range.  Despite this, it still does have a huge range including a patchy distribution across the Mediterranean, a significant chunk of Central Asia, most of India and coast to Coast distribution across North Africa.  It's also probably one of the most distinctive looking vulture species: largely white plumage when landed with a bright yellow face, with the large black sections of the wings visible in flight and a distinctive arrow shaped tail.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Neophron
Subspecies: N. p. percnopterus, N. p. majorensis, N. p. ginginianus  

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Alimoche Común - ("Common Vulture")

Scarce and Local Resident

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Several seen at Monfrague (2 individuals in flight, one on the nest)

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Eurasian Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus)

OTHER NAMES: Monk Vulture, Cinereous Vulture

Latin Etymology: Aegypius ("Vulture") monachus ("monk" ie hooded)

Adult Eurasian Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus) at El Pardo, Spain - April 2016

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 6-13kg  /  Length: 98-120cm  /  Wingspan: 2.5-3.1m
ABSENT FROM UK / Red List: Near Threatened 

The Eurasian Black Vulture (or whichever name you choose to call it by) is a very impressive bird by a lot of metrics - it's enormous for a start - larger than any raptor in the Old World and only exceeded by the Condors in the new.  As such, it has the only wingspan of any bird I have seen thus far to exceed 3 metres, and is in the region of the top 10 for both heaviest and largest wingspan of all flying birds.  Not only that, but they have been recorded flying at spectacular heights of nearly 7 miles - one of the highest flying of all birds.  Their European stronghold is in Spain, but the bulk of their range is Central Asia.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Aegypius
Subspecies: None - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Buitre Negro ("Black Vulture")

Locally fairly common resident

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: Several seen around bundant at Valdetorres Del Jarama and Patones
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Several seen at each of El Pardo and Monfrague National Park.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Eurasian Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus)

OTHER NAMES: Griffon Vulture 

Latin Etymology: Gyps ("vulture") fulvus ("tawny or brown")

Five Eurasian Griffon Vultures (subspecies G. f. fulvus) at Monfrague National Park, Spain - April 2016

Featured Subspecies: Gyps fulvus fulvus

Weight: 6.5-10.5kg  /  Length: 93-122cm  /  Wingspan: 280cm

ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Eurasian Griffon is a massive typical vulture with a massive 2.8m wingspan - bigger even than the largest eagles in Europe, yet not the biggest vulture by a good margin.  It has a vast range - spreading from Spain to the Himalayas but it's range is patchy due to appropriate habitat and food sources.  It suffered a bit in the EU due to certain legislation preventing leaving dead animals out in the open as had traditionally been done, but it has subsequently been amended to make allowances.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Gyps
Subspecies: G. g. fulvus, G. f. fulvescens

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Buitre común ("Common Vulture")

Widespread and locally common resident.

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: Common on farmland North of Madrid and around Patones and two above Toledo 
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Abundant in El Pardo and Monfrague National Park 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .