This photo was included today in my post, Wildlife photographs in southeastern Pennsylvania: Small animals with multi-month sightings in May - part 1:

As noted, there, I'm not sure what the black bird is. It's in silhouette, so it's hard to identify. The AIs are pretty sure that it's an American Crow, but my first impression was that it's too big to be a crow (relative to the Red-tailed Hawks). Because of the size, my first guess was Turkey Vulture. In retrospect, however, given the circumstances - I had just seen a crow in close proximity to that tree - I have to admit that the AI's assessment seems more likely. I have trouble reconciling that with the bird's apparent size, though.

Here are some example photos. What do you think it is?

American Crow	Turkey Vulture	Something Else
Creative Commons / CC0 license from benfh on iNaturalist	Creative Commons / CC0 license from enspring on iNaturalist	Pixabay license from Alexandra_Koch on pixabay

According to All About Birds, here are the typical sizes for an American Crow:

Measurements
Both Sexes
Length: 15.8-20.9 in (40-53 cm)
Weight: 11.2-21.9 oz (316-620 g)
Wingspan: 33.5-39.4 in (85-100 cm)

Here are the sizes for a Red-tailed Hawk:

Measurements
Male
Length: 17.7-22.1 in (45-56 cm)
Weight: 24.3-45.9 oz (690-1300 g)
Wingspan: 44.9-52.4 in (114-133 cm)
Female
Length: 19.7-25.6 in (50-65 cm)
Weight: 31.8-51.5 oz (900-1460 g)
Wingspan: 44.9-52.4 in (114-133 cm)

And, here are the sizes for a Turkey Vulture:

Measurements
Both Sexes
Length: 25.2-31.9 in (64-81 cm)
Weight: 70.5 oz (2000 g)
Wingspan: 66.9-70.1 in (170-178 cm)

Vote for the comment that matches your opinion, and feel free to reply with your reasoning.

1. The black colored bird is an American Crow
2. The black colored bird is a Turkey Vulture
3. The black colored bird is something else

100% of author rewards in this post and the three polling comments will be burned.