Black Vulture - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

The common name "vulture" is derived from the Latin word vulturus, which means "tearer" and is a reference to its feeding habits. The species name, atratus, means "clothed in black," from the Latin ater 'black'. The genus name, Coragyps means "raven-vulture", from a contraction of the Greek corax/κόραξ and gyps/γὺψ for the respective birds. The family name, Cathartidae, means "purifier" and is also derived from the Greek kathartēs/καθαρτης.

The exact taxonomic placement of the Black Vulture and the remaining six species of New World vultures remains unclear. Though both are similar in appearance and have similar ecological roles, the New World and Old World vultures evolved from different ancestors in different parts of the world. Just how different the two are is currently under debate, with some earlier authorities suggesting that the New World vultures are more closely related to storks. More recent authorities maintain their overall position in the order Falconiformes along with the Old World vultures, or place them in their own order, Cathartiformes. The South American Classification Committee has removed the New World vultures from Ciconiiformes and instead placed them in Incertae sedis, but notes that a move to Falconiformes or Cathartiformes is possible.

There are three subspecies of Black Vulture:

• C. a. atratus, named by the German ornithologist Johann Matthäus Bechstein in 1793, is known as the North American Black Vulture. It is the nominate subspecies. It is approximately the same size as C. a. foetens, but its plumage is not as dark. Its range stretches from northern Mexico through Texas and the southern United States north to New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
• C. a. brasiliensis, named by Charles Lucien Jules Laurent Bonaparte in 1850, is known as the Southern American Black Vulture. It is smaller than C. a. atratus and C. a. foetens. The light markings on the undersides of the primaries are whiter and broader than those of the other subspecies, and the underwing coverts are lighter than those of C. a. foetens. It is found in Central America and northern South America. To the south, the range extends to the coastal regions of Peru on the west and the lowlands of Bolivia on the east. To the north, it stretches to Sonora in western Mexico and San Luis Potosí in eastern Mexico. It is not found in high-altitude regions.
• C. a. foetens, named by Martin Lichtenstein in 1817, is known as the Andean Black Vulture. It is approximately the same size as C. a. atratus. The markings on the undersides of the primaries are smaller than those of the other subspecies, and the underwing coverts are darker. It is found in the Andes range, from northern Ecuador through Peru, northern Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and the lowlands of Chile.