Hawk vs vulture: Any pix of them flying so I can see the difference?

[hayley3]

Apart from the behavioral differences explained above, color is also a good hint as to what you're dealing with. (taking into consideration that it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish details when in flight) For the most part, your local hawks are going to be some variation of white, red, and brown (though Red-taileds can appear in dark morph), while vultures are primarily solid black. Zone-tailed and Black Hawks, both of which are quite dark, reside in the Western US. I'll try to find flight pictures out of my million bird pictures when I get home from work.

~Alex

I used to have a book that showed the bird outlines from underneath, which was helpful, but my eyesight is not that good anymore so after seeing vultures daily for 13 years I know them well. Hawks were a rare sight so maybe a lot of vultures ruin the neighborhood for hawks. I wish I had taken pictures before I moved of the trees filled to the brim with vultures.

 

[Alexandra33]

Alrighty, finally found a few pictures in my arsenal.....sadly, I really didn't manage to capture great shots of anything, but I'll happily share nonetheless. You'll need to zoom in quite a bit.

Red-tailed Hawk in winter plumage -

Immature Red-shouldered Hawk -

Northern Harrier -

Dark Morph Rough-legged Hawk, which is most like a vulture in appearance -

VS.

Turkey Vulture -

~Alex

 

[hayley3]

Alrighty, finally found a few pictures in my arsenal.....sadly, I really didn't manage to capture great shots of anything, but I'll happily share nonetheless. You'll need to zoom in quite a bit.

Red-tailed Hawk in winter plumage -
View attachment 1990785
Immature Red-shouldered Hawk -
View attachment 1990786 View attachment 1990789
Northern Harrier -
View attachment 1990795 View attachment 1990796
Dark Morph Rough-legged Hawk, which is most like a vulture in appearance -
View attachment 1990794
VS.

Turkey Vulture -
View attachment 1990792
~Alex

Those are great pictures...birds are soooo hard to capture esp in flight. I've never even heard of a Northern Harrier or a Rough-legged hawk.

 

[chickenenthusiasts5698]

Not sure if these pictures are of any help but i’ve always been able to tell the difference based off of the vultures white feathers. I’ve had a lot of hawks this year (very close incidents) but never lost a bird..but I did lose a cat to a black vulture. (I should add the vulture in the picture is a turkey vulture which is extremely common in my area and are non aggressive)

 

[blackandtan]

Oh yah I’ve got that book, here’s a couple pics:

 

[WthrLady]

Vultures have fingers.

Ours are in huge groups and perch in trees and on other tall objects to spy. It's morbid. LOL.

Ours are also black and white. But those fingers give them away.

I find it interesting that the hens can tell the difference from a LONG ways off between a vulture and the GNHarrier. They ignore the vultures, and even though the GNH has no interest in them, the girls will hide from her. SHE"S HUGE!

 

[ellend]

I think I mostly see vultures but they fly by so quick it's hard to tell. Do Hawkes ever fly in groups? Aren't they mostly solo payers unlike the vultures?

Vultures have spread wing-tips, like fingers.

 

[Rooapalooza]

Hawks are more colorful, sometimes striped looking.
Vultures in my area have either dark bodies with light wing tips (black vulture) or light bottom halves of their wings (turkey vulture). Ravens look somewhat similar (kind of like large crows) can be a danger to chicks as well, but their croak is unmistakable.

 

[ellend]

Side note: although even the parks often refer to them as buzzards, they are really vultures.

 

[Ginmary]

Thanks all. Very helpful. I just got back from vacation. I will try for pix. I think I mostly have the vultures.