Bill of moderate length, stout, cerate; upper mandible with the tip
elongated and decurved; lower mandible rounded and thin-edged at the
end. Head rather small, or of moderate size, ovato-oblong, and with
part of the neck destitute of feathers. Eyes of moderate size, without
projecting ridges. External aperture of ears rather small and simple.
Skin over the fore part of the neck bare or merely downy. Tarsus
rather stout, bare, and shorter than the middle toe; hind toe much
smaller than the second; anterior toes connected at the base by a web;
claws large, moderately curved, rather acute. Plumage full and rather
compact. Wings very long, subacuminate. Œsophagus excessively wide,
and dilated into a crop; stomach rather large, somewhat muscular, with
a soft rugous epithelium; intestine of moderate length and width;
cœca extremely small. The young when fledged have the head and
upper part of the neck generally covered with down. Eggs commonly two.
GENUS I. CATHARTES, Illiger. TURKEY-VULTURE.
Bill of moderate length, rather slender, somewhat compressed; upper
mandible with its dorsal outline nearly straight and declinate to the
end of the large cere, then decurved, the edges a little festooned,
rather thick, the tip descending and rather obtuse; lower mandible
with the angle long and rather narrow, the dorsal line ascending and
slightly convex, the back broad, the edges sharp, towards the end
decurved. Nostrils oblong, large, pervious. Head oblong. Tongue deeply
concave or induplicate, its edges serrate with reversed papillæ.
Œsophagus dilated into an enormous crop; stomach moderately
muscular; duodenum convoluted. Head and upper part of neck denuded,
being only sparingly covered with very short down. Wings very long and
extremely broad; third, fourth, and fifth primaries longest, first
much shorter. Tail of moderate length, nearly even. Tarsus short,
rather stout, roundish, reticulate. Hind toe very small, second a
little shorter than fourth, third very long, all scutellate for more
than half their length. Claws strong, arched, compressed, obtuse.
1. 1. Cathartes Californianus, Lath. Californian
Turkey-Vulture.--Turkey-Buzzard.
Plate CCCCXXVI. Adult.
Nostrils small, elliptical, occupying only the posterior half of the
nasal groove; feathers of the ruff and breast lanceolate and
acuminate; primaries finely acuminate, fourth and fifth longest; tail
rather short, even. Adult with the head bare and yellowish-red, the
plumage brownish-black, the secondaries grey, tipped with white, their
coverts large, tipped with the same. Young with the head downy and
dusky, the plumage blackish-brown, the feathers edged with light
brown, the secondary coverts tipped with brownish-white.
_Male_, length 50. _Female_, length 55.
California and Columbia Rivers. Resident in the south.
Cathartes Californianus, Bonap. Syn. p. 22.
Californian Vulture, Nuttall, Man. vi. p. 39.
Californian Vulture, Cathartes Californianus, Aud. v. v. p.
240.
2. 2. Cathartes Aura, Linn. Red-headed
Turkey-Vulture.--Turkey-Buzzard. Turkey-Vulture.
Plate CLI. Fig. 1. Male. Fig. 2. Young fledged.
Nostrils very large, elliptical, occupying the whole nasal cavity;
feathers of the ruff and breast ovate, rounded; skin over the crop
bare; tail rounded. Adult with the skin of the head and neck wrinkled
and blood-red, the horny part of the bill yellowish-white; the plumage
blackish-brown, deepest on the neck and under parts; feet
flesh-coloured, tinged with yellow. Young when fledged with the skin
of the head and neck dull flesh-coloured and more downy, the horny tip
of the bill light blue, the plumage nearly as in the adult, but the
wing-coverts and secondaries spotted with whitish.
_Male._--Length 32, extent of wings 76.
From Texas to Pennsylvania. Inland westward to the Columbia River.
Resident.
Turkey-Vulture or Turkey-Buzzard, Vultur Aura, Wils. v. ix. p.
96.
Cathartes Aura, Bonap. Syn. p. 22.
Cathartes Aura, Turkey-Vulture, Rich. & Swains. F. Bor. Amer.
v. ii. p. 4.
Turkey-Vulture or Turkey-Buzzard, Nuttal, Man. v. ii. p. 43.
Turkey-Buzzard, Cathartes Aura, Aud. v. ii. p. 296; v. v. p.
339.
3. 3. Cathartes atratus, Wils. Black-headed Turkey-Vulture.--Black
Vulture. Carrion Crow.
Plate CVI. Fig. 1. Male. Fig. 2. Female.
Nostrils very large, oblong, occupying the whole nasal cavity;
feathers of the neck short, very broad, abruptly rounded, advancing
farther on the hind part; skin over the crop feathered; tail even.
Adult with the skin of the head and neck corrugated, dusky, the horny
part of the bill greyish-yellow, the plumage bluish-black, feet
yellowish-grey. Young when fledged with the head and neck closely
covered with dusky down; the plumage blackish-brown.
_Male_, length 26, extent of wings 54.
From Texas to New Jersey. Up the Mississippi to the Ohio. Columbia
River. Resident.
Black Vulture or Carrion Crow, Vultur atratus, Wils. Amer.
Orn. v. ix. p. 104.
Cathartes Iota, Bonap. Syn. p. 23.
Black Vulture or Carrion Crow, Cathartes Iota, Nuttal, Man. v.
i. p. 46.
Black Vulture or Carrion Crow, Aud. v. ii. p. 33; v. v. p.
345.
Cathartes atratus, Black Vulture, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor.
Amer. v. ii. p. 6.