What type of bird was visiting Brampton?

by Cesar Cartagena
(Brampton, Ontario, Canada)

Possible Black Vulture in Brampton

Possible Black Vulture in Brampton

This large bird was on a rooftop in Brampton, Ontario.

I'm not sure if it was a Turkey Vulture.

It shows white head with a wingspan of about 6-8 feet.

Could anyone help to identify this bird?

Cesar, thank you so much for sending this report to us and for including these pictures.

You're right, this doesn't look like a Turkey Vulture, it could be the much less usual Black Vulture, which I have seen many times in Florida and other states, but which I have never seen in Southern Ontario.

Maybe a few ventured this far north this past summer.

One big difference between these two types of Vultures, is that the Turkey Vulture is a scavenger and only eats animals which are already dead, but the Black Vulture is known to hunt small animals.

I hope you get a definite identification from some of our readers, but I will also post this on our facebook page so that our facebook followers can also enjoy your report and pictures.

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starstarstar 		Strange bird identification.
by: Vulture lover

It is far more likely to be an immature Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) than a Black vulture (Coragyps atratus). Turkey vultures breed in southern Ontario. The way you can tell them apart is that when a Black vulture flies, it has white on the ends of the wings are white.

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