King Vulture Factfile
 |
Scientific Name :
World Distribution
King vultures come from central and South America
Habitat
They always live in dense, tropical rainforests.
Feeding
Like all vultures, they eat carrion (animals that have already died). Their strong hooked beaks are ideal for tearing the thick skin of large animals to get at the insides. Their bald heads and necks mean that they do not get too messy and blood-stained as they feed.
They find food partly by using their sense of smell and partly by watching out for other vultures who have already found a corpse. They then swoop down and take over. Because king vultures are bigger and stronger, the others stand aside and let them feed; this is actually not as unfair as it sounds, because tough animal skin needs the king vulture's strong beak to tear it open, exposing the meat for everyone!
Although they eat dead meat most of the time, they have been known to prey on weak or injured animals.
Predators
No one is sure, but it seems unlikely that other animals prey on king vultures. Baby vultures and eggs, however, would get eaten if the parents did not guard them.
Breeding
The female lays a single egg in the howwow inside of a rotting log, and both parents take turns incubating it (keeping it warm). The fluffy baby vulture needs its mum and dad to bring it food until it is about a year old. It will not have its full adult plumage (feathers) until it is three.