Hawks and Vultures

Hawks and Vultures are birds that you are very likely to see soaring overhead in Texas. The Red-tailed Hawk, along with the Turkey Vulture and the Black Vulture are a few of the most common. The Red-tailed hawk is a medium-sized bird of prey know as a raptor. They have long broad wings and short wide tails with reddish brown color. Young ones will lack the red tail. When looking at vultures you can easily distinguish the Turkey Vulture from the Black Vulture by looking at the color of their head. The Turkey Vultures head is red, while the Black Vulture has an all-black head. Turkey Vultures are also more solitary when hunting than Black Vultures and often hunt alone or in small groups. Black Vultures, however, will often hunt in larger groups. Most people think negatively about the vulture, but do not realize our local vultures clean the roadways of dead squirrels, raccoons and opossums, and devour smelly fish washed up on lakeshores.