I was able to spot some more "new to me" birds today. Here in Florida (and other places in North America) there are Black Vultures. Here is my entry for the #smap contest this week.
I was used to seeing Turkey Vultures or "Turkey Buzzards" as we called them in Colorado, those have red heads and are a little bigger. These can get almost 5 pounds (2200g) and have a wingspan of 59 inches (150 cm).
I saw one of these near my house yesterday, and thought maybe it was a small turkey, but then got a better look and could tell it was not.
For these two I was able to snap a few pics with my smartphone from the car as I was coming home from the hardware store. When I got home and zoomed in a bit, I could tell their tasty feast for the day was a squished Armadillo on the side of the road.
Unlike Turkey Vultures which are strictly carrion eaters, the Black Vultures will also target helpless newborn livestock. Apparently, this has caused quite a stir about them from ranchers in Oklahoma, Missouri, and other U.S. states, hence the clickbait title :)
All photo's original work by the author of this post.
Shot with Pixel Fold Smartphone.
