Snoopy

Black Vulture

Height: about 26 inches (feet to head)

Weight: Approx 1900 grams (4 + pounds)

Wingspan: 5.5 feet

Color: Black with white at wingtips

Species: Coragyps Atratus

Age: 8+ yrs

About Snoopy

Snoopy is the sweetest bird.  He was found while still very young with a wing injury, and he is not afraid of most people.  Vultures are very social animals, and Snoopy looks to the volunteers as members of his flock.  Generally, animals that identify with people can be dangerous, get into trouble in the wild, or cannot be released.  Snoopy is the rare exception and every volunteer that interacts with him enjoys his company immensely.

Vultures

Vultures are one of the exceptions to the raptors only policy of the AWR. Vultures are birds of prey, and very similar to herons. In truth they are closer to herons or storks than they are to hawks owls or eagles, but they will eat the same foods as the raptors.

Unlike raptors, Vultures do not kill to eat. They prefer food that does not attack them. They scavenge with their sense of smell, finding dead animals and eating the remains. Birds like this rarely, if ever, attack living animals. They scavenge rather than hunt.

There are 2 types of Vultures in the US: the Black Vulture, and the Turkey Vulture.

Black Vultures are black feathered, black skinned, but have white bands on the end of each wing underside. They are slightly smaller and more aggressive than Turkey Vultures.

Turkey Vultures have a reddish -pink face and and legs and a white tip beak. Their feathers are brown with a slight shiny green tint.

Vultures have an amazing sense of smell, and can find dead animals from high in the sky by scent alone!