Black Vulture Eating Alligator Carcass

BLACK VULTURE - IUCN Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN

The black vulture flipped its head upside down to fit inside the alligator

In this photo, the carcass of a recently deceased alligator is being eaten by a flock of black vultures. If you look closely, you can see this vulture actually flipped its head upside down so he could fit inside the alligator. These vultures did not care that Ben and I were just a few feet away shooting photos. There were at least fifteen vultures taking part in this buffet line. Black vultures are said to be social birds. They have strong family bonds and will even share their kill with relatives.

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This photo was taken in a very wild location, Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, deep in the south Florida wetlands. (We featured the Cuban tree frogs of Fakahatchee Strand State Park back in our June 2019 gallery, check it out here). Fakahatchee Stand Preserve is Florida’s largest state park, and it is home to a ton of alligators. This photo was taken not far from the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk. This area has the largest bald cypress and royal palm swamp forest in the world.

Why is this area so important? These wetlands are an important resource that provides food and habitat to countless creatures. These wetlands also help guard against wildfires. The waters that flow through this area continue to drain south through the greater Everglades waterway. Eventually, the water will travel through the swamps, through the mangroves, and into the Gulf of Mexico.

Black Vulture

If you ever visit this area, the boardwalk trail (2300 feet long) is a great way to check out the otherwise impenetrable wetlands. Easily accessible off US-41, the trail has forty informational signs that educate visitors on the vegetation along the trail. Below is a video of Ben talking about a wild tree found on the boardwalk trail. Some of the other trees that can be found in this area include sabal palm, pop ash, laurel oak, red maple, and live oak. Other wildlife in this area includes air plants, thick mosses and ferns, and a variety of birds (eagles, wood storks, ibis, egrets, herons, hawks, and woodpeckers).

The boardwalk trail is a great way to check out the impenetrable wetland

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