Black vultures are graceful fliers

The two birds shown here are black vultures that I photographed on Feb. 2 in Stoddard County. 

In Southeast Missouri two kinds of vultures grace our skies: turkey vultures and black vultures. Black vultures are a bit smaller and stockier than turkey vultures, and have shorter wingspans and shorter legs. 

The black vulture has a black head. The turkey vulture has a reddish-colored head. Neither bird sports feathers on its head.

The black vulture, whose distribution extends through the southern United States, Mexico, Central America and all but the southern fifth of South America, is at the northern limits of its range in Missouri. It is not a migratory bird, which means that it stays in a local area throughout the year as long as food is available. This bird's main source of food is carrion, meat from dead animals.

The black vulture is a graceful flier and can be mistaken for a hawk if it circles alone in the sky. Often times several black vultures can be seen circling together in the sky in large numbers. 

Through the Woods is a weekly nature photo column by Aaron Horrell. Find this column at semissourian.com to order a reprint of the photo. Find more work by Aaron at The Painted Wren Gallery.