King vulture

King vulture
	King vulture ( Sarcoramphus papa )
Systematics
Sub-stem :	Vertebrates (vertebrata)
Class :	Birds (aves)
Order :	Birds of prey (Accipitriformes)
Family :	New World Vulture (Cathartidae)
Genre :	Sarcoramphus
Type :	King vulture
Scientific name of the genus
	Sarcoramphus
	Duméril , 1805
Scientific name of the species
	Sarcoramphus papa
	( Linnaeus , 1758)

The king vulture ( Sarcoramphus papa ) is a New World vulture from South America and the only living species of its genus. It got its name because it dominates other vultures in carrion areas.

features

Head study

King vultures are strikingly colored. Her bare head is red at the crown, neck and around the eyes, the nipples and the nape of the neck are orange to yellow. There are short, greyish-white feathers on the cheeks, while the lower part of the neck is black. The front is white-gray. These vultures grow up to 85 cm long, weigh 4.5 kg and have a wingspan of almost 2 m. Like all New World vultures, the king vulture has a powerful beak and strong toes.

Way of life

King vultures are not very sociable, but live in pairs and sleep in shared dorms at night. During the day, they sail for hours without moving their wings, looking for food. They avoid the high mountains and mainly stay in rainforests and savannas .

food

They have a good sense of smell and keen eyes . Besides fish , small mammals and snakes , their diet consists mainly of carrion . When they arrive at a carrion site, they gather in several dozen animals and drive away other vultures or hunt food from them.

Reproduction

King vultures breed every two years and do not build a nest, but lay the eggs either in rotted tree stumps or in forked branches and crevices, which are often at heights of 20 to 30 m. Most of the time the female lays only one white-yellowish, red-brown spotted egg, but sometimes it also happens that the brood comprises three eggs. After a 55-day incubation period, in which both parents are equally involved, the young bird hatches. It is fed by pre-digested food from the parent's goiter. The nestling duration is 80 to 90 days; after that the young leaves the nest, but often stays with the parents for 150 to 600 days.