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 Cathartidx ; 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 Mendo^, 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 



