New World vultures | Cathartidae

Nieuwewereldgieren | Buitres del Nuevo Mundo

New World vultures are large, mainly black or dark brown scavengers with a bare, wrinkled head and neck, a rather weak, hooked bill and long, broad wings. Two species occur in the region. The adult Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) has a mostly red head and, seen from below, a silvery-grey rear half to the wing; it lives in the Greater Antilles, on part of the Bahamas and on Trinidad. It soars low, with the wings held in a shallow V and rocking slightly, and finds carrion mainly by smell, an ability that is uncommon among birds. The Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) has a grey head, a short tail and white patches near the wingtips; it flies with quick, shallow beats alternating with glides and is common on Trinidad around villages, markets and rubbish dumps. It searches for carrion mainly by sight and often follows Turkey Vultures. Both species roost in groups and lay one or two eggs without a nest in a sheltered spot.