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|conservation=Least concern<ref>http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22697624/0</ref>
|conservation=Least concern<ref>http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22697624/0</ref>
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The ''black vulture'' (''Coragyps atratus'') is a bird of prey of the family Cathartidae, and found throughout much the the Americas.
==Description==
==Description==
The black vulture has a body length of 56 to 74 centimeters, a wing span of 133 to 160 centimeters and is 1.1 to 1.9 kg heavy. Its plumage is brilliantly black, with a naked dark gray head and neck. It has very wide, relatively short wings and a short tail; in flight it is distinguished from turkey vultures by the relatively flat plane of the wings, versus the shallow "V" held by the other birds. In standing, the tips of the folded wings reach to the tip of the tail. The legs and the beak are gray, the iris dark. In young birds the beak is uniformly gray, the plumage does not shine. The skin of the head is black and slightly wrinkled.
The black vulture has a body length of 22 to 29 inches, a wing span of 52 to 62 inches and is 2.4 to 4.1 pounds in weight. Its plumage is brilliantly black, with a naked dark gray head and neck. It has very wide, relatively short wings and a short tail; in flight it is distinguished from turkey vultures by the relatively flat plane of the wings, versus the shallow "V" held by the other birds. In standing, the tips of the folded wings reach to the tip of the tail. The legs and the beak are gray, the iris dark. In young birds the beak is uniformly gray, the plumage does not shine. The skin of the head is black and slightly wrinkled.
The black vulture is sociable and mainly feeds on carrion, but also kills prey on occasion. They live in open and wooded landscapes as well as hilly areas up to an altitude of about 8,000 feet. It occurs in the southern United States, in Mexico (except Baja California), and Central and South America, as far south as southern Argentina and Chile.
The black vulture is sociable and mainly feeds on carrion, but also kills prey on occasion. They live in open and wooded landscapes as well as hilly areas up to an altitude of about 8,000 feet. It occurs in the southern United States, in Mexico (except Baja California), and Central and South America, as far south as southern Argentina and Chile.