Black Vulture
Black VultureBlack VultureBlack VultureBlack Vulture

Black Vulture

Coragyps atratus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
60–70% · Likely
overall probability at Palo Verde National Park
745 Verified records at Palo Verde National Park
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The black vulture (Coragyps atratus), also known as the American black vulture, Mexican vulture, zopilote, urubu, or gallinazo, is a bird in the New World vulture family whose range extends from the northeastern United States to Peru, Central Chile and Uruguay in South America, and common throughout Brazil where it can be seen in large scavenging groups. Although a common and widespread species, it has a somewhat more restricted distribution than its compatriot, the turkey vulture, which breeds well into Canada and all the way south to Tierra del Fuego. It is the only extant member of the genus Coragyps, which is in the family Cathartidae. Despite the similar name and appearance, this species is not closely related to the Eurasian black vulture, an Old World vulture, of the family Accipitridae (which includes raptors like the eagles, hawks, kites, and harriers). For ease of locating animal corpses (their primary source of sustenance), black vultures tend to inhabit relatively open areas with scattered trees, such as chaparral, in addition to subtropical forested areas and parts of the Brazilian pantanal. With a wingspan of 1.5 m (4.9 ft), the black vulture is an imposing bird, though relatively small for a vulture, let alone a raptor. Wikipedia →

60–70% of wildlife watchers report a Black Vulture sighting in Palo Verde National Park, based on 745 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Palo Verde National Park

Turkey Vulture
LC

Turkey Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cathartes aura

50–60% · Likely
King Vulture
LC

King Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sarcoramphus papa

<5% · Rare
Snail Kite
LC

Snail Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rostrhamus sociabilis

20–30% · Possible
Osprey
LC

Osprey

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pandion haliaetus

20–30% · Possible
Roadside Hawk
LC

Roadside Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rupornis magnirostris

20–30% · Possible
Gray-lined Hawk
LC

Gray-lined Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo nitidus

10–20% · With luck
Common Black-Hawk
LC

Common Black-Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteogallus anthracinus

5–10% · With luck
Zone-tailed Hawk
LC

Zone-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo albonotatus

5–10% · With luck
Short-tailed Hawk
LC

Short-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo brachyurus

5–10% · With luck
Hen Harrier
LC

Hen Harrier

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Circus cyaneus

5–10% · With luck
Broad-winged Hawk
LC

Broad-winged Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo platypterus

5–10% · With luck
Harris' Hawk
LC

Harris' Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Parabuteo unicinctus

5–10% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

60–70
Jan
60–70
Feb
60–70
Mar
40–50
Apr
60–70
May
50–60
Jun
50–60
Jul
60–70
Aug
50–60
Sep
60–70
Oct
50–60
Nov
70–80
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
70–80%
2 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
70–80%
3 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
70–80%
4 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
70–80%
5 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
70–80%
6 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
70–80%
7 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
70–80%
8 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
70–80%
9 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
70–80%
10 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
70–80%
11 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
70–80%
12 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
60–70%
13 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
60–70%
14 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
60–70%
15 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
60–70%
16 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
60–70%
17 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
60–70%
18 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
60–70%
19 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
60–70%
20 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
60–70%
21 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
22 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
50–60%
23 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
50–60%
24 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
50–60%
25 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
50–60%
26 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
50–60%
27 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
50–60%
28 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
50–60%
29 Noel Kempff Mercado National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
50–60%
30 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
50–60%
31 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
50–60%
32 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
50–60%
33 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
50–60%
34 Puracé National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
50–60%
35 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
50–60%
36 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
50–60%
37 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
50–60%
38 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
50–60%
39 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
50–60%
40 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
50–60%
41 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
50–60%
42 Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
50–60%
43 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
40–50%
44 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
40–50%
45 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
40–50%
46 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
40–50%
47 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
40–50%
48 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
40–50%
49 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
40–50%
50 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
40–50%
51 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
40–50%
52 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
53 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
40–50%
54 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
40–50%
55 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
40–50%
56 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
40–50%
57 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
40–50%
58 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
40–50%
59 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
40–50%
60 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
40–50%
61 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
40–50%
62 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
40–50%
63 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
40–50%
64 Irazú Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
40–50%
65 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
30–40%
66 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
30–40%
67 El Triunfo 🇲🇽 Mexico
30–40%
68 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
30–40%
69 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
30–40%
70 Nahuel Huapi National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
30–40%
71 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
30–40%
72 Canaima National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
30–40%
73 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
30–40%
74 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
30–40%
75 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
30–40%
76 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
30–40%
77 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
30–40%
78 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
30–40%
79 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
30–40%
80 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
81 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
30–40%
82 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
30–40%
83 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
20–30%
84 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
20–30%
85 El Palmar National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
20–30%
86 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
20–30%
87 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
20–30%
88 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
20–30%
89 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
20–30%
90 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
20–30%
91 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
10–20%
92 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
93 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
94 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
5–10%
95 Península Valdés 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
96 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
97 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
<5%
98 Cajas National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
99 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
100 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
101 Huascarán National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
Insufficient data
102 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Black Vulture in Palo Verde National Park?

About 62% of wildlife watchers report a Black Vulture sighting in Palo Verde National Park, based on 745 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Black Vulture in Palo Verde National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for Black Vulture in Palo Verde National Park in our monthly data.

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