Black Vulture
Black Vulture has surged: up 291% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Black Vulture
The Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) is a North American member of the New World Vultures (Cathartidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the birds of prey.
- Size
- 23.5–31.5 in long (60–80 cm) — a large soaring bird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open country, woodlands, cliffs and wetlands, hunting from the air or a high perch.
- Diet
- Live prey — small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and large insects (carrion for vultures).
- Range
- Recorded on 1,271 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 27 states, most concentrated in the Southeastern Coastal Plain.
- Family
- Cathartidae · Birds of prey
Notable Black Vulture Trends
Black Vulture has surged in surveyed states: up 291% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
Black Vulture Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Black Vulture is projected to rise about 15% by 2029 — from 1.5 in 2024 to a central estimate of 1.7 (95% range 1.4–2.1). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±9.3%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 2.0 |
| 2026 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 2.0 |
| 2027 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 2.0 |
| 2028 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 2.0 |
| 2029 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 2.1 |
Where the Black Vulture Is Detected
BBS routes recording Black Vulture, sized by most recent count.
Black Vulture Population Trend by State
| Alabama | +173% | 1968 | 95 |
| Arizona | +46% | 1977 | 11 |
| Arkansas | -11% | 1969 | 41 |
| Connecticut | insufficient data | n/a | 6 |
| Delaware | +807% | 1973 | 16 |
| Florida | +132% | 1968 | 121 |
| Georgia | +170% | 1968 | 110 |
| Illinois | +112% | 1978 | 12 |
| Indiana | +346% | 1986 | 19 |
| Kentucky | +692% | 1969 | 45 |
| Louisiana | +394% | 1969 | 82 |
| Maryland | 63× | 1969 | 68 |
| Massachusetts | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Mississippi | +48% | 1968 | 64 |
| Missouri | +401% | 2004 | 17 |
| New Jersey | +974% | 1991 | 26 |
| New York | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| North Carolina | +610% | 1968 | 82 |
| Ohio | 14× | 1979 | 22 |
| Oklahoma | +535% | 1970 | 30 |
| Pennsylvania | +490% | 1979 | 49 |
| South Carolina | +340% | 1968 | 43 |
| Tennessee | 12× | 1968 | 43 |
| Texas | 11× | 1969 | 172 |
| Vermont | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Virginia | +415% | 1968 | 65 |
| West Virginia | +112% | 1972 | 24 |
Black Vulture Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Central Mixed Grass Prairie | +561% | 1974 | 9 |
| Edwards Plateau | +283% | 1969 | 20 |
| Oaks and Prairies | 21× | 1969 | 68 |
| Eastern Tallgrass Prairie | +365% | 1995 | 19 |
| Central Hardwoods | +621% | 1968 | 113 |
| West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas | +453% | 1969 | 104 |
| Mississippi Alluvial Valley | +336% | 1970 | 40 |
| Southeastern Coastal Plain | +174% | 1968 | 322 |
| Appalachian Mountains | +691% | 1968 | 161 |
| Piedmont | 12× | 1968 | 155 |
| New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast | 67× | 1968 | 90 |
| Peninsular Florida | +103% | 1968 | 79 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | +176% | 1977 | 8 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | +277% | 1997 | 3 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | +116% | 1992 | 7 |
| Tamaulipan Brushlands | +587% | 1970 | 27 |
| Gulf Coastal Prairie | +464% | 1970 | 38 |
Black Vulture Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 291% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.