King Vulture
Sign in to savelarge bird found in Central and South America
AI overview
The king vulture is a large bird native to Central and South America that plays an important role in its ecosystem by feeding on carrion. As one of the largest vultures in the Americas, it helps prevent the spread of disease by consuming dead animals.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Species
King Vulture
Species
- PhylumChordata
- ClassAves
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyCathartidae
Observations4,335
via
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Sarcoramphus
- Image
- Urubu rei - Sarcoramphus papa.jpg
Show 3 more facts
- P105
- species
Article
The king vulture (Sarcoramphus papa) is a large bird found in Central and South America. It is a member of the New World vulture family Cathartidae. This vulture lives predominantly in tropical lowland forests stretching from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. It is the only surviving member of the genus Sarcoramphus, although fossil members are known.
Large and predominantly white, the king vulture has gray to black ruff, flight, and tail feathers. The head and neck are bald, with the skin color varying, including yellow, orange, blue, purple, and red. The king vulture has a noticeable orange fleshy caruncle on its beak. This vulture is a scavenger and it often makes the initial cut into a fresh carcass. It also displaces smaller New World vulture species from a carcass. King vultures have been known to live for up to 30 years in captivity.