Vulture characteristics, habitat, reproduction, feeding

2251
Egbert Haynes

The buzzard, black vulture or zamuro (Coragyps atratus) It is a large bird with a height of 74 cm and a wingspan of 132 to 152 cm. Its characteristic plumage is glossy black with a large white spot on the primary wings. Like the head, neck and legs are devoid of feathers. 

The name of the black vulture comes from the Latin vultur, which means "destroyer", alluding to their eating habits. In different parts of Central America, the name buzzard derives from Nahuatl tzopilotl, where tzotl means "filth", and pilotl "hang ”, which refers to the corpse that hangs while flying.

Source: CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=463988

The buzzard lives in low and open lands in hot and temperate climates. It is usually found in wetlands, grasslands, savannas, deserts, rural areas and in cities, living among the garbage. They are mainly scavengers although they also feed on newly hatched and defenseless live prey.

The buzzard belongs to the order Accipitriformes, family Cathartidae. The species C. atratus it is the only species of the genus Coragyps and it is divided into three subspecies: C.atratus atratus (American black vulture), C. atratus brasiliensis (South American black vulture) and C. atratus foetens (Andean black vulture).

Article index

  • 1 Main features
  • 2 Description
  • 3 Habitat and distribution
  • 4 Taxonomy and subspecies
    • 4.1 Subspecies
  • 5 Playback
  • 6 Food
  • 7 Behavior
    • 7.1 Communication and Perception
    • 7.2 Flight
  • 8 Bibliographic references

Main Features

The female is oviparous, they reproduce once a year and lay an approximate of two to three eggs per clutch. Both the male and the female take care of the chicks until, after about 70 days, the young hatchling becomes independent from the nest.

They are social birds; when they hunt they do it in a group, just like courtship. Males perch around the female walking with outstretched wings near the nest they have chosen.

The zamuro lacks a syrinx, for this reason it emits low-frequency sounds similar to hissing, grunting and even barking, especially when fighting for food.

Another distinctive feature in these birds is the habit of urinating and defecating on their feet to cool themselves through the evaporation of fluids in a process called urohidrosis. Its flight consists of a quick flap followed by a short glide..

In captivity, this bird can live up to 21 years of age, and is currently under the category of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), that is, it is not found under threat of disappearing.

In the United States you receive legal protection by the law of the Migratory Bird Treaty or MBTA (for its acronym in English).

Description

The buzzard is a large bird of prey, measuring about 74 cm in length and reaching a wingspan (with outstretched wings) of 137-152 cm. The average male weighs around 2 kg and the female 2.7 kg.

At first glance, their plumage is shiny black and in some cases dark brown. They have no feathers on the head and neck; their skin is rough in appearance of a grayish color. The iris of the eye is brown in color and its beak is short with a curved shape, capable of penetrating the skin of the captured animal..

Source: By DickDaniels (http://carolinabirds.org/) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24752627

The legs are devoid of feathers, their feet are flat and their toes long. Unlike a bird of prey, the feet of the black vulture are weak, since they are more adapted to running than to holding.

The wings are wide but short at the same time and at the base of the primary wings there is a large white spot. Its tail is short and square, barely exceeding the length of the folded wings

They have a strong digestive system, capable of digesting bones and hair. In captivity, these birds can live up to 21 years.

Habitat and distribution

The vulture inhabits low, open lands with wooded or shrubby areas. It can be found in desert lands, savannas, swamps, grasslands, and wetlands. In cities, vultures are often near garbage cans or posing on posts and fences. It is rare to find it in mountainous areas.

The buzzard lives in temperate and tropical regions, the distribution varying according to the subspecies. Its range includes northern Mexico, Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina. In the northern part of their range, they have a southward migration in autumn and a return migration in the spring time..

On the other hand, the black vulture of South America is located between Central America in the state of Sonora and San Luis Potosí in Mexico, and north of South America, the coasts of Peru and eastern Bolivia..

The distribution of the Andean black vulture covers the lowlands of Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, northern Bolivia, Peru, and northern Ecuador..

Taxonomy and subspecies

The buzzard belongs to the order of the Accipitriformes (an order shared by birds of prey, including eagles, hawks and hawks), family Cathartidae. The family name comes from the Greek kathartēs, which means "purifier".

The ancestor of the species, the Pleistocene black vulture (Coragyps occidentalis), was present throughout the current species location. Unlike C. atratus, its predecessor was slightly larger than the current species and had a slightly flattened bill.

The genus name Coragyps, which means "raven-vulture", derives from the Greek words corax Y gyps, that allude to each bird (raven and vulture). The epithet atratus, which translated means "dressed in black", comes from Latin ater which means "black".

Subspecies

Molecular studies separate the species C. atratus in three subspecies: C.atratus atratus, C. atratus brasiliensis Y C. atratus foetens. The American black vulture (C. atratus atratus) is the typical subspecies, similar in size to C. atratus foetens, but unlike this one, its plumage is clearer.

The black vulture of South America (C. atratus brasilensis) is the smallest of the three; however, its white spots on the side are wider and lighter compared to the other two subspecies.

The Andean black vulture (C. atratus foetens) is approximately the same size as the American black vulture; however, its plumage is darker and the markings on the side of the body are smaller than in the other subspecies.

Reproduction

They are monogamous breeders; both the female and the male incubate one litter per breeding season. Reproduction is annual and the time varies depending on the latitudes in which the subspecies are found..

The season of the American black vulture can begin in the month of January while the South American black vulture from October.

The black vulture reproduces by eggs (oviparous), which are laid close to the ground in hollow tree bases, cliff edges, on roads covered with dense vegetation, in shallow rock holes or in building crevices in urban areas..

They do not usually use materials to build their nests in nature, but they do use in cities, where they use plastic waste that they extract from the garbage..

The clutch is made up of two to three eggs about 7.6 cm long and 5.6 cm wide. The shell is pale grayish green or pale blue with brown spots. The incubation period of the egg is 32 to 41 days. Newborns are fed and cared for by parents. After 63 to 70 days, the young can skillfully fly and become independent from the nest. 

Feeding

It is a mainly scavenger bird; They feed on dead animals, garbage, decomposing plant material, eggs, and newborn animals. Vultures are described as opportunistic predators, as they prey on young and defenseless prey that are vulnerable to their attacks..

In rural areas, the vulture represents a threat to farmers, as they sting the eyes, nose or tongue of newborn calves, causing infections and ultimately death..

They can also hunt deer, baby herons, domesticated ducks, small mammals, and young turtles. Adults feed their chicks by regurgitating partially digested food. 

The black vulture is becoming a growing problem in landfills in large urban centers. In addition, they have been associated with pet predation, damage to buildings, damage to property, and are considered a health problem by producing their bad odors..

Despite this, they play an important role in the ecosystem, since they recycle the nutrients from the dead animal and reintroduce them to the environment. The remains left by these animals are later used by decomposers.

Behaviour

They are social birds and usually form large crowds made up of related individuals. Males court the female in a group with outstretched wings, shaking their heads and walking around her. In some cases, the males fly close to the ground or next to the nest they have chosen.

Communication and Perception

To hunt their food, they use their acute sense of sight, since in these birds smell is poorly developed. Black vultures are silent animals because they lack the syrinx (the vocal organ that allows birds to vary their song), therefore they emit sounds similar to grunts, hisses and even barks that are produced when they fight for food..

When threatened, the buzzard regurgitates the freshly eaten food to reduce its weight and be able to take flight in a hurry.

Another common behavior in these birds is to defecate and urinate frequently on their legs, in order to cool themselves through the evaporation of fluids, in a process called urohidrosis..

Normally the bird perches with its wings extended with the purpose of heating its body, drying its wings or "killing" the bacteria that come from the corpses..

Source: By bois christian - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2052695

Flight

The flight of the American black vulture consists of a rapid flapping followed by a short period of gliding. It usually soars higher and later in the day than its close relative, the Turkey Vulture, in order to take advantage of thermal currents to improve flight.. 

Bibliographic references

  1. Common Vulture (Coragyps atratus). Taken from encyclovida.mx
  2. Black vulture (Coragyps atratus). Taken from animaldiversity.org
  3. Coragyps atratus (Beshstein, 1793). Taken from itis.gov
  4. Coragyps atratus. Taken from wikipedoa.org

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