Vulture Eggs Up Close

Allen E. Rhodes

"Gallery" contributor Allen Rhodes had his camera with him when he discovered the nest of a black vulture (Coragyps atratus). Allen writes, "Here are two different pictures of a black vulture's nest I found. It was in the high grass under a broken-off mesquite limb. The eggs are about 75 mm (3 inches) long." Allen writes that he confirmed the species on a second visit to the nest a week later. "I was down at the ranch and checked on the vulture nest in the photographs. The eggs are still there, and the bird incubating them left the nest and landed on a fence about 20 meters (around 20 yards) from me, and I got a positive ID. We don't have many black vultures in the vulture population on the ranch. They are primarily turkey vultures. The photo was taken on a ranch in northeast La Salle County, Texas."

You can find out more about these large birds at the black vulture page at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology "All about Birds" web site. A turkey vulture page is also available.

Wanted: Gallery Contributions

Contributions to "Gallery" are welcomed. Please submit sharp JPEG photographs and a caption of from a few sentences to several paragraphs. Be sure to include the full name(s) of any people in your submission. To the best of your ability, provide both the common name and the genus and species of any plants or animals. Common names are lower case, as in the live oak tree. The genus is capitalized and the species is not, as in: The live oak (Quercus virginiana) keeps its leaves during winter. Also provide information about the camera that made the photograph.

Send your contribution as an e-mail to the Editor. Place "Gallery" in the subject line. Be sure to include your full name. Attach the photograph as a JPEG.

Thank you for considering The Citizen Scientist. Editor.