Black Vulture in Will County?

[M.Bernat]

I think there was a Black Vulture circling over Hickory Creek Forest Preserve in Will County today at 5:00 pm. I’m familiar with Black Vultures from trips to Mexico, and even spotted one in Alsip years ago. So why the “I think”?  I can check off all the field marks except the slam dunk: there was no white at its wingtips. It circled upward and northward in small circles from the entrance in Mokena on Lincoln Highway U.S 30. At first I thought it was a bald eagle as I approached from the west—its wings were held flat for a moment and the gray head looked whitish with the sunlight of late day behind me. But hoo boy those fingertip feathers were splayed out like a frightened cat’s claws. They and the rest of its body were as black as can be. The tail was noticeably short and it flapped its wings a lot. All very un-TV-like. I had a good view with binoculars and took fuzzy cell phone pics when it was quite far north. It looks like Dracula in one, kind of ironic since one description says its flight is batlike, which I never noticed before. 

I’m guessing it was flying to its roost, so if you’re out in Mokena or even the Orland Park area on Sunday, you may want to check out the vultures flying above. 

Mary Bernat

South Cook County