king vulture

American  

noun

1. a large, black-and-white vulture, Sarcorhamphus papa, of Central and South America, having colorful wattles and wartlike protuberances on its head and neck.

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Etymology

Origin of king vulture

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

king vulture

"We would like to see the Asian king vulture soar once again through the skies of Thailand," he said.

From Reuters ● Apr. 26, 2023

His king vulture, Maloney, lovingly groomed his mustache with its enormous beak.

From The New Yorker ● Apr. 13, 2015

Or the rarer king vulture, sarcoramphus papa, also called condor Amazónico?

From New York Times ● Apr. 11, 2014

Two species only seem to occur in the writings, the king vulture and the black vulture.

From Animal Figures in the Maya Codices by Tozzer, Alfred M. (Alfred Marston)

Monarch of the feathered tribes of the forest, the king vulture fears no rival throughout his wild domain.

From The Western World Picturesque Sketches of Nature and Natural History in North and South America by Kingston, William Henry Giles