16th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
The KING

The king vulture (Sarcoramphus papa) is a large bird found in Central and South America. 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 very 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.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2017
Date Uploaded: 08.2018
Photo Location: Boca Tapada, Costa Rica
Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Copyright: © Nicolas Reusens