Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)

The Black Vulture is one of the most commonly seen soaring birds in Costa Rica. They glide through warm air currents, congregate in numbers on a tree during the morning while waiting for the formation of those currents. They look for dead animals through their eyes, since their smell sense is not as acute. Due to that, they sometimes follow Turkey Vultures, whose sense of smell is well more advanced. As implied by its name, they are entirely black, with their face and throat bare skinned, which together with their scavenger nature makes for a disgusting reputation. They are admired though for their ability to eat contaminated food, which has been found to be derived from strong stomach acids and resistance to bacteria toxins. This is an important trait, as it enables them to act as recyclers, eating discarded food and turning it into fertilizer for the soil.