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

[Ginmary]

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?

 

[azygous]

In my own experience, the difference between hawks and vultures is that vultures love to inspect the ground from a near continuous soaring and gliding well above the ground.

Hawks like to perch on top of a tree like a Christmas tree top ornament. From this vantage, they acquire their target and then swoop down suddenly for the attack.

This isn't always true, as nature is not given to hard rules, but I find it safe to assume a high soaring large bird is more often a vulture than a hawk. My chickens seem to notice this difference, too. Also, they tend to ignore crows and ravens, since these very often are loud and have distinctive calls, very different from a hawk's screech.

 

[2 many chickens]

I have a hard time too.
With the vultures around here, they fly low and in circles. The crows don't mind them. With the hawks and eagles, they do their famous hawk or eagle screech. The crows hate them and chase them around. That's how I can usually tell the difference.

 

[Zach123]

Hawks typically soar with their wings flat while turkey vultures will have their wings up in a “V” shape and often teeter somewhat side to side. Vultures are also pretty much a solid black while most hawks, aside from dark morphs have lighter colors, especially around their belly/chest area.

Hawks definitely fly in groups, called a kettle, especially while migrating, and the groups can get pretty large too.

 

[Cathy Henny]

we don't have issues at all with vultures, but the hawks man!
terrible we've lost so many birds to hawks, the hawks sit in trees and stalk waiting for the birds to forget that they're there, vultures I'm actually not sure but hope your birds stay safe!

 

[Noah Way Farm]

Hawks nearly always fly solo or in pairs. Vultures can fly solo or in pairs, but can often be found in bigger groups. They are substantially bigger than most hawks, typically a black or dark brown in color. They also have bald heads, but you may not be able to see that from the ground.

 

[hayley3]

I just moved from Buzzard's roost so I can tell a buzzard from a hawk. Buzzard's normally seem to float in the air whereas a hawk flies more in a straight line.

And according to google: Buzzards actually float on updrafts of air. These updrafts are caused by the air being heated at ground level, and then it floats up in bubbles or pockets, forming ascending air currents or thermals. ..

 

[Ginmary]

Thanks all. Maybe I'll get some video and post it after I get back from vacation.

 

[Alexandra33]

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

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Vultures rarely flap their wings. Hawks glide a bit, then rapidly flap their wings; rinse and repeat.