sm1mex Posted July 20, 2020 Report Share Posted July 20, 2020 What are the big black birds that circle around and around over the lake. They don’t look like they’re hunting for anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostlylost Posted July 20, 2020 Report Share Posted July 20, 2020 The black vulture (Coragyps atratus), also known as the American black vulture The black vulture is a scavenger and feeds on carrion, but will also eat eggs or kill newborn animals (livestock such as cattle). In areas populated by humans, it also feeds at garbage dumps. It finds its meals either by using its keen eyesight or by following other (New World) vultures, which possess a keen sense of smell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm1mex Posted July 20, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2020 Why do they circle around Over the lake every day. There’s no food for them in the water unless they go for fish but I never see them go for anything. Just flying around. There are many of them 20 or more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostlylost Posted July 20, 2020 Report Share Posted July 20, 2020 I have never understood this. In the southern US if you see a dead animal there are vultures eating it. Even something small like an armadillo. Here I have never seen vulture eating a dead animal beside the road. Because they are so good at finding thermals they can fly for hours expending almost no energy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajijicbound Posted July 20, 2020 Report Share Posted July 20, 2020 55 minutes ago, sm1mex said: Why do they circle around Over the lake every day. There’s no food for them in the water unless they go for fish but I never see them go for anything. Just flying around. There are many of them 20 or more. Probably just catching the updraft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudgirl Posted July 20, 2020 Report Share Posted July 20, 2020 Flying around over a lake sounds like quite a pleasant thing to do if you have wings. I think animals do things that simply feel good sometimes- there doesn't always have to be some basic survival/biological reason for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm1mex Posted July 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2020 Birders please respond why the birds fly round and round Over the lake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostlylost Posted July 21, 2020 Report Share Posted July 21, 2020 12 hours ago, sm1mex said: Birders please respond why the birds fly round and round Over the lake There are basically two types of soaring/gliding flight. In terrestrial environments, birds can take advantage of vertical air movements (a.k.a. wind currents). The air that becomes hotter near the surface of the earth will become less dense and ascend, forming invisible but powerful ascending columns called thermals. Hawks and vultures use the thermals to soar without having to flap their wings (= no energy spent). Once they get into a thermal, they can circle up and up; on leaving the thermal, they glide down until they find another one. The shape of their wings provides a large surface area, and slight movements of their finger-like primary feathers direct their flight. While gliding, some birds curl the tips of their wings upwards. This is similar to the winglets used on many modern aircraft. The winglets are designed to reduce the induced drag of the wing. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyjillin Posted July 21, 2020 Report Share Posted July 21, 2020 13 hours ago, sm1mex said: Birders please respond why the birds fly round and round Over the lake. Mostlylost told you in great detail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalGal Posted July 21, 2020 Report Share Posted July 21, 2020 Birds just wanna have fun!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted July 22, 2020 Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 They also enjoy sun tanning and just watch the world go by Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdmowers Posted July 22, 2020 Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 On 7/20/2020 at 12:55 PM, sm1mex said: What are the big black birds that circle around and around over the lake. They don’t look like they’re hunting for anything. Most or all of the flocks of "big black birds" near the lake in Chapala municipality are Crested Caracaras. These have white wing tips. Black vultures do not. Caracaras are nesting in La Floresta in the eucalypts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyjillin Posted July 22, 2020 Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 6 hours ago, bdmowers said: Most or all of the flocks of "big black birds" near the lake in Chapala municipality are Crested Caracaras. These have white wing tips. Black vultures do not. Caracaras are nesting in La Floresta in the eucalypts. Crested Caracaras have a lot of white and not just the wing tips and. Islander's hazy picture probably shows them but not the large black birds that the OP is curious about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nolajoe Posted July 22, 2020 Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 OP is referring to Black Vultures. You can compare them with Crested Caracaras on the attached links. It is a common sight to see Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures congregating together in the eucalyptus trees in lower La Floresta. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Vulture/id https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Crested_Caracara/id Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yo1 Posted July 22, 2020 Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 I live in Chapala Haciendas and the black vultures roost about a block from my house. In the winter, they fly the short hop to the lot across the street where they sit in the sun to warm up. They stay 1/2 to one hour before they begin their search for food. This last winter there were nine of them in the CH kettle. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostlylost Posted July 22, 2020 Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 Black vultures defiantly do have white wingtips But not white chests. The OP was asking about the same birds I see daily from my terrace. They are Black Vultures as I stated in my response 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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