Royal Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa) is a large bird of prey from the family of American vultures. This is the real king of vultures, large enough birds living in Central and South America. It lives mainly in tropical flat forests stretching from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. This is the only surviving representative of the genus Sarcoramphus.
What does a royal vulture look like?
The king of vultures has a very bright appearance, which distinguishes him from relatives-vultures. The plumage is largely white, but also has a light pink-yellow hue. The tail and ends of the wings are darker and contrast with the bright body of the bird. The gray feathers of the vulture also cover the neck with a wide belt. There are no feathers on the head and upper neck; the skin is red. Cheeks and skin around the beak are decorated with multi-colored spots - white, purple and orange. A distinctive feature of the royal neck is a skin tumor on the nose. Its beak is reddish, thick and strong. It ends with a hooked tip and a sharp cutting edge.
The bird has wide wings and a short, wide and square tail. His eyes are straw-colored, they are characterized by very sharp vision. Unlike some vultures, the royal neck has no eyelashes. There are thick and long claws on the legs. Vultures of this species are not characterized by sexual dimorphism, individuals of such kings are very similar to each other, differ only in size, the female is slightly smaller than the male. The total length is 67-81 cm, its wingspan is 1.2-2 meters. Its weight ranges from 2.7-4.5 kilograms.
Distribution and habitats
The royal vulture, whose photo you can see here, lives on approximately 14 million square kilometers between southern Mexico and northern Argentina. In South America, he lives west of the Andes, with the exception of western Ecuador, as well as in northwest Colombia and northwest Venezuela. The bird lives mainly in pristine tropical flat forests, as well as in savannas and meadows. A vulture can often be seen near a swamp or marshy place in the forest.
These vultures prefer rainforests because they are a refuge for many mammals, as well as birds that predators feed on. Royal vultures thus clear the forests of carrion, as a rule, of medium and large mammals.
Behavior features
Royal vultures can sometimes stand for several hours without flapping wings. While in flight, its wings form a plane with slightly raised tips, and from a distance the vulture may seem headless. His wingspan is deep and strong. Despite its size and bright color, this predator is quite inconspicuous, especially when it is hiding in the trees. During rest, he keeps his head down, but at the same time he can suddenly and abruptly rush forward if he suddenly notices the prey.
Royal vultures live alone or in small family groups. However, they can also gather in large flocks near the carcass with food. The life expectancy of these birds in captivity is marked by 30 years, although how much they live in the wild is not known. This vulture , while eating food, usually defecates on its legs to lower body temperature. Despite its formidable appearance and large dimensions, vultures are relatively non-aggressive. At the same time, they have practically no voice apparatus, although this bird can make low croaking and wheezing sounds.
Power Features
King Vulture is a bird that feeds exclusively on carrion and, unlike some of its brethren, does not kill sick or dying animals for food. He often eats fish thrown aground along the riverbank.
Although he has keen eyesight that can help him find food, there are several theories regarding how he finds carrion. Some claim that he uses his sense of smell to find the bodies of animals. Others argue that this is not a scent, namely keen eyesight. Still others prefer to think that vultures simply follow their fellows, who are fortunate enough to be the first to discover food.
Royal vultures are mainly carrion in the forest. As soon as they find a carcass, they crowd out other vultures due to their large size and strength. Using its beak, the bird makes an initial cut in a fresh carcass. This allows smaller and weaker vultures, who cannot independently break their prey, to gain access to food. Vultures, as a rule, eat only skin and tissues. But it happens that they even eat bones.
Breeding
Puberty in these birds occurs at four to five years. Vultures have a rather complicated courtship tactic. The couple walks in a circle next to each other on the ground, flapping their wings and making loud rattles and noises. During mating, they also have snorting sounds. Females, as a rule, lay one white egg in their nest in a hollow in a tree. To scare away potential predators from the vultures, the nests exude a fetid odor. Both parents hatch an egg from 32 to 38 days before the chick hatch. If the egg is missing, then after about six weeks the female can lay a new one. Young chicks are very helpless at birth. They are born without feathers, but a few black feathers appear in them after a couple of days. After birth, the chicks are fed meat brought in their claws. But not everyone survives to maturity - royal vultures have the peculiarity of killing their chicks.