My discovery! Turkey Vulture/Black Vulture.... hybrid

[Aplomado Falcon (David McCauley)]

Greetings All:
I live in Tlacotalpan,Veracruz Mexico and yesterday while birding here
I made a rather unusual discovery. I spotted what I believe to be a
cross between a Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) and a Turkey Vulture
(Cathartes aura)
A first glance the bird looks like a Black vulture with a pinkish/red
head, but the eyes are more like that of a Turkey vulture.
I am pretty excited about my find and wanted to share it with the
group. The link below is to my weblog where I have photos:

http://birdingday.blogspot.com/2005/06/my-discoveryturkey-vultureblack.html

I would be interested in any feedback. Has anyone else ever see this?

Good birding,

David McCauley
Veracruz River of Raptors 2005
Http://veracruzhawkwatch.blogspot.com

[delc...@mail.ab.edu]

Aplomado Falcon (David McCauley) wrote:
> Greetings All:
> I live in Tlacotalpan,Veracruz Mexico and yesterday while birding here
> I made a rather unusual discovery. I spotted what I believe to be a
> cross between a Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) and a Turkey Vulture
> (Cathartes aura)
> A first glance the bird looks like a Black vulture with a pinkish/red
> head, but the eyes are more like that of a Turkey vulture.
> I am pretty excited about my find and wanted to share it with the
> group. The link below is to my weblog where I have photos:
>
> http://birdingday.blogspot.com/2005/06/my-discoveryturkey-vultureblack.html
>
> I would be interested in any feedback. Has anyone else ever see this?
>
> Good birding,

Google --black vulture turkey vulture hybrid-- There is an entry from
an elibrary.unm.edu which describes such a bird.

J. Del Col

[Aplomado Falcon (David McCauley)]

Thanks, I found two entries of possible hybrids which I posted on the
link
http://birdingday.blogspot.com/2005/06/my-discoveryturkey-vultureblack.html
One was from 1883.
Bill Clark and Brian Wheeler in the Peterson field guide Hawks of North
America make a reference of a report of a possible hybrid Turkey
Vulture/Black Vulture...it turned out to be false...it was a practical
joke, someone had painted the head of a black vulture and then the
paint wore off!
I have posted this on various places on the web and and thus far no
one saying that they have ever seen anything similair. I think that I
will send the pics to Cornell and see if perhaps they have seen
something comparable.

[Steve McDonald]

It looks like a Black Vulture with a sunburn to me. I can't see
anything else about its features that seem like those of a Turkey
Vulture. It is possible, but I think very unlikely these two species
would interbreed in the wild. They aren't of the same Genus. They have
great mobility and large populations, so none of them would find a
scarcity of its own species from which to select a mate. They mate for
life and are very choosy about which one they pick. Most birds have
very specific courtship rituals and if one doesn't put on the right
moves, it doesn't score.

Of course, you occasionally see a hybrid duck or goose and there
are some other birds that may rarely crossbreed. I theorize that most
hybrid waterfowl come from captive parents that had no other choice of
dance partners. Are there any captive vultures where one of each
species was thrown together and they nested, and their offspring
escaped? Ever know anyone who kept pet vultures in a backyard cage? If
so, wouldn't they make lovely neighbors.

Steve McDonald

[Aplomado Falcon (David McCauley)]

Steve:
An update on the possible hybrid TV/BV...........
After sending photos to Bill Clark, he responded that he believes that
this is a Black vulture /Coragyps atratus with alot of blood on the
head. After more looking at the pics, I think that he is right. After
a few days the blood will wash off, and itwill look like any other BV.
This sure had me going.........
Good birding

David McCauley
River of Raptors Veracruz
http://veracruzhawkwatch.blogspot.com