Abstract: Understanding the contributions of vital rates to species population growth is critical to developing new management protocols. We constructed a model population for black vultures ( Coragyps atratus ) in North Carolina, USA, based on demographic data from a 14‐year study. The model population was similar in stage structure to the reference population, and adult survival was the primary contributor to the annual rate of increase (10.6%). We suggest that the North Carolina black vulture population is experiencing high rates of survival and fertility, potentially breeding at an age younger than previously assumed, and growing rapidly.