Vultures are nature’s highly efficient clean-up crew, playing an important role in maintaining healthy ecosystems across the United States. These birds primarily feed on carrion, or dead animals, which helps prevent the spread of diseases and the accumulation of decaying organic matter. Their presence contributes significantly to ecological balance.
Key Vulture Species in the US
The United States is home to two primary vulture species: the Black Vulture and the Turkey Vulture. While both are dark-feathered scavengers, they possess distinct characteristics.
The Black Vulture has an all-black plumage with a grayish-black, featherless head and neck. In flight, its broad wings are held relatively flat, exhibiting white patches only at the tips of the undersides of its wings. This species is generally smaller, with a wingspan ranging from 4.3 to 5.6 feet.
In contrast, the Turkey Vulture has dark brown body plumage, and adult birds are identifiable by their red, featherless heads. It has a longer wingspan, typically between 5.5 and 6 feet. When soaring, Turkey Vultures hold their wings in a shallow “V” shape, or dihedral, and often appear to teeter or wobble. The underside of their wings displays a two-toned appearance, with silvery-whitish gray flight feathers contrasting with darker wing linings.
Distribution Across the United States
Both Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures are widespread across the United States, though their distributions and migratory patterns differ. The Turkey Vulture is the most common and broadly distributed New World vulture, found across nearly all American habitats from southern Canada to South America. In the southern U.S., Turkey Vultures are year-round residents. Northern populations undertake migrations southward for the winter; some western birds travel long distances into Central and South America, while eastern populations typically migrate shorter distances within the U.S.
The Black Vulture’s range is somewhat more restricted. This species is primarily found from the southeastern U.S. through the mid-Atlantic states and into the Midwest, extending to South America. The Black Vulture’s range has expanded northward, reaching farther into the Midwest and northeastern states. While generally permanent residents throughout much of their range, Black Vultures in the northern extremes may undertake short-distance seasonal movements.
Habitat and Environmental Preferences
Vultures select habitats that provide access to food sources, roosting sites, and flight conditions. Both species prefer open or semi-open areas and avoid dense forests where their large size could hinder takeoff and movement. They utilize thermal updrafts—rising columns of warm air—to soar efficiently and conserve energy while searching for carrion. These birds often gather in large communal roosts in tall trees, on cliffs, or on man-made structures like communication towers.
Turkey Vultures are often observed in open areas adjacent to woodlands, which offer important sites for both nesting and roosting. They inhabit farmlands, rangelands, and low-elevation mountainous areas, utilizing hills for easier takeoff. This species has a highly developed sense of smell, which allows them to locate carcasses even beneath dense forest canopies. Nesting occurs in secluded, dark recesses such as rock crevices, caves, hollow logs, or abandoned buildings.
Black Vultures prefer open country, including flat and coastal plains, and are found in moist lowland forests, shrublands, and grasslands. They are more adaptable to human-modified landscapes, thriving in urban and suburban environments, near landfills and garbage dumps. Unlike Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures rely on keen eyesight to spot food and often follow Turkey Vultures to a discovered food source. Their nesting sites are in hollow structures like tree stumps, shallow caves, or abandoned buildings, benefiting from human activities that provide concentrated food.