Ciconiiformes: New World Vultures
Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Cathartidae
The New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures, but dramatically resemble them because of convergent evolution, and the forces of function,("form follows function"). Like the Old World vultures, they are scavengers, and their major trait besides the bare/feather-less neck, would be their trait of, "searching by soaring". However, unlike Old World vultures, which find carcasses by sight, New World vultures have a good sense of smell with which they also locate carcasses. There are 7 species world wide, all found only in the Americas, and 3 North American species.
- Black Vulture, Coragyps atratus (far E. Ariz.?/–S. Central AZ, South on Western Continental coast of Mex., E. Gulf of California)
- ( * SW) Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura, Note: gathers and migrates in updrafts, up to hundreds of individuals, up to 4000 ft(?) heights)
- California Condor, Gymnogyps californianus: emplaced in far northern Ariz(NW Ariz/Grand Canyon–Lake Mead region).
- See New World vulture
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Black Vulture
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Turkey Vulture
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Osprey
Read more about this topic: List Of Arizona-SW Birds (Yuma County, Arizona)
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