King Vulture by danob
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No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.
Description
This King Vulture has been on my wanted list of vultures for some time, and for once was posing nicely... The bird was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758
The name may be derived from two possible explanations the King part of the name is a reference to its habit of displacing smaller vultures from a carcass and eating its fill while they wait. An alternative theory reports that the name is derived from Mayan legends, in which the bird was a king who served as a messenger between humans and the gods
The adult King Vulture is the most strikingly coloured of the New World Vultures. It is predominantly white, though its ruff, flight, and tail feathers range from grey to an opalescent black. The white plumage also has a slight rose-yellow tinge to it. It has a thick, strong bill that, whilst the most powerful among the New World Vultures, is quite small compared to that of other large birds of prey. This bill has a hooked tip and a sharp cutting edge. The bird has broad wings and a short, broad, and square tail. Its eyes are straw-coloured and it has keen eyesight.
Unlike some New World Vultures, the King Vulture lacks eyelashes. The King Vulture also has a highly noticeable yellow fleshy crest on its orange and black bill; this carnucle does not fully form until the bird’s fourth year.
Comments (50)
Danny! You are knocking me over, Guy! This hits me in the solar pexis! Its fabulous and I can't believe I know someone who has seen this first hand. I get excited over a turkey vulture and look at what you can do!!! Wow. Love it in all ways.
Wow! Amazing capture of this bird that I'd never even heard of before today. Thanks for giving all the detail along with the photo.
what wonderful colours he's beautiful excellent capture.
A truly amazing sight and excellent detailed shot. I love the POV it is really original, and zooming in is amazing for the detail. He looks like something from another planet - Danny this is really excellent photography and thank you for sharing!!!!!!
Thanks for sharing information on this (New for me) Vulture... very cool.
Amazing portrait!!!
A gorgeous bird, amazing shot Danny!
Nice bird, beautiful photo !
WOW! Great shot!
Superb picture, Danny! Wonderful and interesting image!!!
wonderful pose, and hard to catch!! It came out very well, on that rainy and overcast day!!
Wow! The clarity and the POV is just supurb. I love the vibrant colours here and that they are offset by that lovely lavender patch in the centre of the white chest. Thanks for the infomation on this lovely creature as well, it is always so great to learn something new of our wonderful world. Jen
Super capture of this freaky creature!
Nice work, great picture. Todd
wow...stunning! mucho gusto
Nice work, great picture.
Just stunning . He was posing for you . Superb Image . Bravo !!!! Ana
My knowledge of birds gets electric shocks whenever I visit your gallery :-) This photo is simply extraordinary, so masterfully shot. Thank you for sharing, Danny!
I'm floored as I type. What an amazing shot and creature.
What a proud beauty this is! Excellent capture. Bunny
It looks as it wants to say 'come on I will cuddle you' but there is a chance I might be wrong I guess .. Anyway... it is absolutely an inmpressive image..!!
Fabulous and impressive bird....!!!! Wonderful photo Daniel....!!!!
Amazing capture. I've never seen or heard of this magniificent creature before and appreciate your inclusion of a complete description. Bravo!
Beautiful photography, Impressive!! Congratulations!! A million stars from me.************** Luminous Blessings Ludy
Excellent photo. Quite a face! I've only seen pictures in books of this vulture.
Oh my, this is an amazing bird, like something from another world. Your photos are so pro and a lovely presentation here. CC
OH MY - very impressive! Awesome shot!
Superb capture,very impressiv expression!
Very nice...... Aloha
A fabulous capture with this proud looking bird! A wonderful animal portrait you have posted here!!!