I first observed these two Black Vulture on the steeple of the Grace Lutheran Church in Carrollton, Texas. The vultures had been attracted to the area by a road-killed Nutria on Hebron Parkway.
Hebron Parkway is a very busy street, and the vultures had no hope of ever accessing the carcass safely. Still, they waited patiently, looking very Gothic perched on the patinaed cross in front of an overcast sky.
I had the opportunity to take many photographs of these two birds before they became unnerved by my attention. From the steeple they flew across Hebron Parkway and landed on the rooftop of a nearby house. There, they finally seemed to become aware of the futility of their efforts and they quickly moved on again.
| County | – | Denton |
|
| City | – | Carrollton | |
| Date | – | Nov 22, 2011 | |
| Time of Day | – | Afternoon | |
| Temperature | – | Cool (50-69°F/10-21°C) | |
| Weather | – | Overcast | |
| Habitat | – | Community-Church/School/Civic | |
| Type of Behavior | – | Surveying | |
| Gender | – | Uncertain | |
| Maturity | – | Adult | |
| Observer | – | Chris Jackson | |
| Main Article | – | Black Vulture | Observation Location |
These pictures give me the creeps!
I’ve observed these birds several times on Parker Rd. and knew they were vultures, but not what kind. Now I know what they are – great pictures!
Thanks for stopping by! We actually have two flavors of vulture in North Texas—the Turkey Vulture and the Black Vulture. Both birds are roughly the same size. Both are large and black. Fortunately they are easy to tell apart, especially if they are flying. Black Vultures, like the ones in this article, have white or silver feathers only at the tips of their wings when seen from below. Turkey Vultures have the same type of coloration all along the trailing edge of their wings. Easy!