Unusual Black Vulture behavior

[Janet Millenson]

As I was fetching the Sunday papers this morning, I noticed a pair of Black Vultures flying low and rapidly across our yard and the neighbors' yards. Around and around they went, flapping like crazy but staying close together like members of the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels squadron.

My guess is that I was witnessing courtship behavior. Have any of you observed this?

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Janet Millenson
Potomac, MD (Montgomery County)
ja...@twocrows.com

[Marcia Watson]

Janet,

We see this Black Vulture behavior annually, usually at this time of year, but haven’t seen them yet this year. We believe it’s courtship*. A pair of birds circles repeatedly over the wetland behind us, in an area devoid of trees. They fly almost wing to wing or chase each other, at about the height of the surrounding treetops. If they’re doing this when the trees are leafed out, we wouldn’t see them. Gabe Foley can probably chime in.  

*See Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior, p. 186

Also Birds of the World says 

Courtship Displays

Several authors have described apparent courtship flights. In these, one bird, presumed to be the male, chases the presumed female through the air and periodically dives at her (21, 149). Recorded chases lasted several minutes, but at least some may represent instances of parents driving away the previous year's young from the vicinity of the nest (196, 17).

Pairs also engage in a Circle Display: The male circles the female with his neck stretched forward and exhales loudly (Zukowsky 1956 in 17). Also, pairs perform a ritualized dance in which they face each other and engage in a rapid Up-Down Display accompanied by bill-gaping (24). In this dance, the birds hold their fully spread wings above the horizontal and alternately jump in the air while emitting a "yapping" sound.

Marcia 

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Marcia Watson

Bowie, MD

On Feb 27, 2022, at 11:31 AM, Janet Millenson <ja...@twocrows.com> wrote:



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[JAMES SPEICHER]

Coincidentally, the Sunday Mark Trail comic strip's topic features vultures. According to the strip, a group of same is called a "wake."

The comic strip is always a good read on Sundays for kids as well as adults.

Jim S

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[Janet Millenson]

Thanks, everyone, for confirming this was courtship behavior. Cool!

-Janet

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Janet Millenson
ja...@twocrows.com