Snoopy

Species: Black Vulture

Age: 7-8 years

Area: Throughout North America

Snoopy is the sweetest bird.  He was found while still very young with a wing injury, and he is not afraid of most people.  Vultures are very social animals, and Snoopy looks to Steve, Anitra, and the other volunteers as members of his flock.  Generally, animals that identify with people can be dangerous, get into trouble in the wild, or cannot be released.  Snoopy is the rare exception and every volunteer that interacts with him enjoys his company immensely.  

Vultures are the exception to the raptors only policy of the AWR.  Vultures are birds of prey, and  very similar to vultures.   In truth they are closer to the crane or stork than they are to  hawks owls or eagles, but they will eat the same foods as the  raptors.  

Unlike Raptors,  Vultures do not kill to eat.  They prefer food that does not attack them.   They hunt with their sense of smell, finding dead animals and eating the remains.  Birds like this rarely, if ever, attack  living animals.  The scavenge rather than hunt.

There are 2 types of Vultures in the US:  the Black Vulture, and the Turkey Vulture.  

Black Vultures are black feathered, black  skinned, but have white bands on the end of each  wing underside.  They are slightly smaller and more aggressive than Turkey Vultures  

Turkey Vultures have a reddish -pink face and and legs  and a white tip beak.  Their feathers are brown with an slight shiny green tint.