king vulture

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of king vulture¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

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

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John likes things like king vultures and alligators.

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You also sometimes get king vultures there - but the only vulture these days at Bharatpur are Egyptian vultures.

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

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He wore a head-dress of king vulture plumes, and was otherwise distinguished by his costume.

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