New World Vultures Cathartidae
There are 5 genera in the family. Of the 7 species, the California Condor Gymnogyps californianus is considered critcally endangered and the Andean Condor Vultur gryphus is near-threatened. It is believed that New World Vultures are more closely related to storks than hawks and eagles. They are known to cool their bodies by urinating on their legs. They have no vocal cords, so their voice is limited to grunts and hisses. Their unfeathered heads allow them to stick their heads in a rotting carcass without getting unwanted peices of diseased flesh that would otherwise stick to feathers. After they eat, they perch in the heat of the sun to bake off any flesh that may have stuck to their heads.

Cathartes
There are 3 species in this genus.

The Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura is the most common and widespread of all the New World Vultures. They range all the way from southern Canada, south to Tierra del Fuego, and the Falkland Islands. Some individuals in the northern part of their range may migrate as far south as South America for the winter. Since the invention of the automobile, they have increased their range north, mostly due to the number of roadkills that the birds thrive on. A group of vultures are called a "Venue", whereas vultures circling in flight are called a "Kettle". This Turkey Vulture was photographed at San Carlos Lake, near Globe, Arizona, USA.



Coragyps
This is the only member of the genus.

Ranging from southern USA, south to Chile and Argentina, the Black Vulture Coragyps atratus is a common sight in and around human settlements. They are especially numerous at landfills and slaughterhouses. This Black Vulture was photographed feeding on a discarded house cat, at the Brownsville Landfill, Cameron County, Texas, USA.





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