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Description: This stunning South American bird is perhaps
the most beautiful of all the vultures. The adult is mostly white
with contrasting black secondary wing coverts, secondaries, primaries,
rump and tail. The neck is yellow and orange with a soft grey
ruff at the base. The ornately wrinkled head is a mixture of yellow,
red, blue, black and purple. The eye is ringed with red, the iris
is white and the pupil black. The beak and fleshy caruncle are
bright orange. Adults are identical.
The juvenile, by contrast, is sooty black all over with some
white below the 1st year. The 2nd year the underparts are white
with the beginning of orange on the neck, bill and caruncle.
In the 3rd year, the shoulders take on a cream color and the
back remains black. Adult plumage is fully attained by 5-6 years.
The bird in the photograph as left is a mature King Vulture.
Similar species: Its striking black and white plumage
and brightly colored head make the King Vulture unmistakable.
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