Home > Illustration > Wildlife > Birds > Birds of Prey > King Vulture

King Vulture

King Vulture line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

King Vulture full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The King Vulture was completed on 1/20. It was based on sketches and photos I took while visiting the Wildlife World Zoo in Litchfield, Arizona. I saw these magnificent birds in flight while visiting Costa Rica a few years ago. Since then I had wanted to render one. Their very colorful heads make an interesting contrast to their mostly monochrome body.

Information about the King Vulture:

The King Vulture is a large South and Central American bird of the New World family Cathartidae. This vulture lives primarily in tropical lowland forests ranging from southern Mexico to Argentina. It is the only living member of the genus Sarcoramphus - all others are extinct and we know of them only from the fossil record. Like all vultures this bird feeds on carrion. But unlike some other vultures it has not been known to kill sick or dying animals for food. Not including the two species of condors it is the largest of the New World Vultures with an overall length ranging from 27–32 inches and a wingspan on average of about 4–6.5 feet. Its weighs about 6-10 pounds.