Types of Vultures in Michigan: How to Identify Turkey and Black Vultures
October 9, 2026
Michigan is home to far fewer vulture species than most people assume. Of the 23 species of vultures in the world, the turkey vulture is the only kind that can be found in Michigan on a regular basis, according to the Blandford’s Wildlife Education Center. A second species does show up, but rarely enough that most residents never notice it.
Understanding the types of vultures in Michigan matters if you want to know what’s circling over that farm field or roosting on your neighbor’s roofline. Two of the three species of vultures found in North America have been spotted in Michigan: the Black Vulture and Turkey Vulture. This guide breaks down how to tell them apart, when each one shows up, and what to do if one decides your property looks like a good place to hang out.
Understanding the Types of Vultures in Michigan
Michigan’s vulture population is dominated by a single species, with a second appearing only occasionally in the southern part of the state. Both belong to the New World vulture family, and both share the bald head that makes vultures instantly recognizable, but their size, flight style, and range within Michigan differ enough that a careful look usually settles the question.
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
The turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) is the vulture Michigan residents are almost certainly seeing when they spot one overhead. The Turkey Vulture is a striking presence in Michigan’s skies, easily identified by its impressive wingspan, which can reach up to six feet, with dark brown feathers and distinctive featherless red heads. In flight, the birds hold their wings in a slight V-shape and rock unsteadily on air currents rather than flying in a straight line.
What sets this species apart from nearly every other bird of prey is its sense of smell. Turkey Vultures use their highly developed sense of smell to locate carrion, and their sense of smell is so sensitive that they can detect dead meat from 8 miles away. That ability lets them find carcasses hidden under forest canopy that a sight-hunting scavenger would fly right past.
Turkey Vultures are usually found in northern Michigan during the breeding season, but a few hang around all year in the south of the state, and they are recorded in 22% of summer checklists submitted by bird watchers for the state, according to data compiled from eBird records. That figure places them among the more reliably observed raptors in Michigan during the warmer months, right alongside the eagles and hawks that share the same open-country habitat that supports the state’s diverse bird populations across different regions.
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
The black vulture (Coragyps atratus) is the far rarer of Michigan’s two vulture species, and spotting one is still considered a notable event among local birders. Black Vultures are considered rare or accidental species in Michigan but have been occasionally spotted mainly in the southeast of the state all year, and the body of the Black Vulture is black. Unlike its more common cousin, the black vulture has a shorter tail, broader wings, and a stockier overall build.
Identification comes down to flight behavior and wing pattern more than color, since both species look dark from a distance. Black vultures are stockier than turkey vultures, with shorter, broader wings and a shorter tail, and in flight, the underwing pattern is a key clue: black vultures show pale patches near the tips of the wings like “fingers”. Turkey vultures, by comparison, show a two-toned underwing that’s darker along the leading edge and lighter toward the back half.
Range expansion explains why black vulture sightings in Michigan have ticked up in recent years. The Black Vulture is known for its dark plumage and bold, inquisitive nature, and while it is most common in the southeastern United States and throughout Central and South America, the species has been expanding its range northward over the past few decades, appearing more frequently in southern Michigan, though still considered rare, according to AviBirds. That northward creep mirrors range shifts seen in other wildlife across the Great Lakes region, similar to how hummingbirds in Michigan adjust their arrival windows as seasonal patterns shift.
Turkey Vulture vs. Black Vulture: Quick Comparison
| Trait | Turkey Vulture | Black Vulture |
|---|---|---|
| Wingspan | Up to 6 feet | Up to 5 feet |
| Head color | Red (adults) | Gray to grayish-black |
| Wing shape in flight | Long, held in a V, teetering flight | Shorter, broader, more frequent flapping |
| Underwing pattern | Two-toned (dark front, lighter back) | Pale “finger” patches near wingtips |
| Primary sense used to find food | Smell | Sight |
| Michigan status | Common, statewide in warmer months | Rare, mostly southeast Michigan |
Pro Tip: Watch the flight style before you even try to see head color. Turkey vultures soar with far fewer flaps and a distinct wobble, while black vultures flap more frequently and fly with a stiffer, choppier pattern.
Both species fill the same ecological niche, and their reputation as unpleasant birds obscures how important that role actually is. Due to their habits of feeding on carrion, vultures have gotten a bad reputation, but their ecological niche is valuable and they are quite interesting birds. A single turkey vulture can process carcasses that would otherwise sit and spread disease, which puts them in the same “cleanup crew” category as scavenging insects that break down organic material across the state, including some of the wasps in Michigan that also feed opportunistically on decaying matter.
Practical Guidance on Vultures in Michigan
Knowing the types of vultures in Michigan is one thing. Knowing when to look for them, and what to do if they show up somewhere you’d rather they didn’t, is the part that actually matters for most residents.
When and Where to Spot Vultures in Michigan
Turkey vultures follow a predictable seasonal pattern that lines up with warmer weather across the Great Lakes. In North America, Turkey Vultures can be seen in southern states and central America year-round, and they move into northern states and Southern Canada during the summer, so the Turkey Vulture can normally be seen in Michigan during the spring, summer, and fall. Birders in the southern part of the state report the same pattern year after year, with large groups arriving as early as late March.
Look for vultures in these settings for the best chance of a sighting:
- Open fields and roadsides, where they scan for roadkill and carrion
- Tall structures such as dead trees, cell towers, water towers, and utility poles used for roosting
- Farmland with livestock, particularly during calving season when afterbirth attracts scavengers
- Thermal-rich areas on warm afternoons, where groups circle for hours without flapping
Black vultures are a different story entirely. Black Vultures can be found in both forested and open areas, although these birds are relatively rare to see in Michigan, preferring to roost and nest in dense forests but foraging for food along roads, fields, and other open spaces. Southeast Michigan offers the best odds of a sighting, and even there, most birders go years between confirmed encounters.
What to Do About Vultures Roosting on Your Property
Large vulture roosts can turn from a curiosity into a genuine nuisance fast, especially when droppings accumulate on rooflines or dozens of birds settle into the same stand of trees night after night. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources treats this as a wildlife management issue with specific, humane recommendations rather than something homeowners should handle by removing the birds themselves.
Start with prevention. Promptly remove items such as exposed garbage or dead wildlife that may attract vultures to your property, and prevent vultures from roosting around or on your house by eliminating large horizontal tree branches or installing spike strips on branches, roof peaks, and other likely areas. If vultures have already claimed a roost, active deterrence is the next step. Noise devices, visual scare tools like reflective tape and predator-eye balloons, or motion-activated sprinklers may be effective in discouraging vultures from roosting, though consistent hazing may be needed until birds select a new roost.
Important Note: Turkey and black vultures are protected under federal law, and it is illegal to harm, kill, or trap them without a permit. All deterrent methods must be non-lethal, and the Michigan DNR does not authorize private live capture and release of vultures outside of permitted research.
Property damage is the more common complaint, and it’s a documented one. Droppings of turkey and black vultures create nuisance conditions, especially when the birds loaf on roofs of houses, office buildings, communication towers, and electrical transmission structures, and the accumulation of droppings on electrical transmission towers causes arcing and power outages, according to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Vultures have also been known to peck at rubber and vinyl components on vehicles and rooftops, which is why professional wildlife control companies often recommend covering parked cars in areas with active roosts.
Bird flu has added a new layer of concern for anyone who spends time around vulture roosts or handles wildlife carcasses. While these birds are not dangerous, there is some concern regarding turkey vultures and bird flu, since the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus known to affect birds throughout North America also affects waterfowl, raptors, and scavengers, including turkey vultures, eagles, and crows. Anyone who finds a dead vulture or notices unusual die-offs should avoid direct contact and report the sighting to the DNR rather than handling the bird.
The same wildlife-watching mindset that helps with vultures applies across Michigan’s broader animal population. Residents dealing with unwanted wildlife on their property often run into overlapping issues, whether that’s snakes in Michigan seeking shelter near woodpiles, squirrels in Michigan nesting in attic spaces, or chipmunks in Michigan digging under foundations. In every case, removing food sources and access points solves more problems than aggressive intervention ever does.
For anyone curious how Michigan’s two species compare to vultures elsewhere, the contrast is worth exploring. States farther south see a wider mix of scavengers; vultures in Tennessee include both species in far greater numbers, while a completely different set of species dominates vultures in Kenya, where several critically endangered species still forage across the savanna. Michigan’s list is short by comparison, but that’s typical for northern states; a broader look at how many types of vultures exist worldwide puts the state’s two species into global context.
Conclusion
Michigan’s vulture population boils down to two species with very different levels of visibility. The turkey vulture is common, statewide during the warmer months, and identifiable by its red head, teetering flight, and reliance on smell to find carrion. The black vulture remains a rare visitor confined mostly to the southeast corner of the state, though its range has crept northward in recent decades.
Whether a vulture shows up as a welcome sign of spring or an unwelcome guest on a rooftop, the same rule applies: these birds are protected, ecologically valuable, and best managed through prevention and humane deterrence rather than removal. Michigan’s backyard wildlife extends well beyond vultures, and readers interested in the state’s smaller residents can also check out guides to bees in Michigan, moths in Michigan, and spiders in Michigan for a fuller picture of what shares the landscape with the state’s two vulture species.