Bird field guide · New World Vultures

Photographing the Black Vulture

How to photograph the Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus): the right lens for its size, shutter speeds for perched and moving animals, and when it's most often seen (March and April).

60–80 cm1/2500–1/3200 s

60–80 cm

Typical length (family range)

1/800 s

Shutter: perched / still

1/2500–1/3200 s

Shutter: action / flight

f/6.3–f/8

Aperture

97,417

Research-grade sightings in N. America

Recommended camera settings#

ModeManual + Auto ISOLock shutter & aperture, let ISO float

Shutter (still)1/800 s

Shutter (action)1/2500–1/3200 s

Aperturef/6.3–f/8

FocusAF-C + subject/eye detectionFor flight shots use wide-area tracking and +0.3 to +1 EV against bright sky.

DriveHigh-speed burst

Lens300–500 mmFull-frame equivalent

Focal length needed to frame it#

For a subject about 70 cm long filling a third or half of the frame width horizontally.

Distance	⅓ of frame (FF)	½ of frame (FF)	⅓ of frame (APS-C)	⅓ of frame (MFT)
5 m (16 ft)	83 mm	125 mm	56 mm	42 mm
10 m (33 ft)	167 mm	251 mm	111 mm	83 mm
15 m (49 ft)	250 mm	376 mm	167 mm	125 mm
20 m (66 ft)	334 mm	501 mm	223 mm	167 mm
30 m (98 ft)	501 mm	752 mm	334 mm	250 mm
50 m (164 ft)	834 mm	1,253 mm	556 mm	417 mm

When to find it#

Share of iNaturalist observations by month across North America. Peak months: March and April.

About the Black Vulture#

The black vulture (Coragyps atratus), also known as the American black vulture, is a bird in the New World vulture family whose range extends from the southeastern United States to Peru, Central Chile and Uruguay in South America. 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 south to Tierra del Fuego. It is the only extant member of the

Summary adapted from Wikipedia via iNaturalist (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Field-craft tips#

Thermals mid-morning; easy flight-photo practice.
For flight shots use wide-area tracking and +0.3 to +1 EV against bright sky.
Sightings peak in March and April, which is when you'll have the most chances.

Ethics#

The welfare of the animal comes first: if it changes its behaviour because of you, you are too close.
Stay on trails, respect closures around nests, leks, dens and haul-outs.
Avoid playback and baiting in sensitive seasons; never bait predators.
Don't share precise locations of rare, nesting or roosting animals publicly.