Question: Are our black and turkey vulture raptors?
Answer: No. New World vultures are not raptors.
The word raptor comes from the Latin rapere -- to seize, take, carry away. It refers to the way raptors seize prey with their feet and carry it away.
Black and Turkey Vultures (and also California Condors) do not kill with their talons (feet). In fact, they have very weak feet with blunt nails. Recent genetic tests indicate they are actually closely related to storks. The American Ornithologist's Union has already reclassified them under the order Ciconiiformes to reflect this.
A pair of Black Vultures and a Turkey Vulture eye each other.