BLACK VULTURE 89 
BLACK VULTURE 
Cathartes atratus 
Whole plumage black; head bare and black; length 25 inches, 
wing 17.5 inches. 
THREE species of Vulture inhabit Argentina, all of 
the American family Cathartide; the first being 
the Great Condor, Sarcorhamphus gryphus, found in 
the Andean region and in Patagonia. Of this great 
and often-described bird I can say next to nothing 
from personal observation, as I met with it but once, 
and that was on the sea-shore south of the Rio Negro. 
The second is the well-known Turkey Buzzard of 
southern North America, Cathartes aura. His range 
extends south to Patagonia, where I met with it and 
could always distinguish it from the common Black 
Vulture at a great distance by its bright red, bare 
head and neck. It is, however, far from common. 
The Black Vulture, according to Dr. Burmeister, 
is found throughout the Argentine pampas, but is 
commoner in the east and north. It is known as the 
Gallinazo at Mendoza, and Cuervo (Crow) in Tucu- 
man. Mr. Barrows tells us that he did not see it 
during his residence at Concepcion, but was told of 
its former abundance in times of drought, when 
dead sheep were numerous. It was, however, met 
with by him in small numbers during his excursion 
through the sierras of the pampas south of Buenos 
Ayres. 
On the Rio Negro in Patagonia I found these 
