King Vulture
Sarcoramphus papa
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyCathartidae (New World Vultures)
- GenusSarcoramphus
- SpeciesSarcoramphus papa (King Vulture)
The king vulture (Sarcoramphus papa) is a large bird found in Central and South America. It is a member of the New World vulture family Cathartidae. This vulture lives predominantly in tropical lowland forests stretching from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. It is the only surviving member of the genus Sarcoramphus, although fossil members are known. Large and predominantly white, the king vulture has gray to black ruff, flight, and tail feathers. The head and neck are bald, with the skin color varying, including yellow, orange, blue, purple, and red. Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a King Vulture sighting in Emas National Park, based on 8 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Emas National Park
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
Cathartes burrovianus
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
White-tailed Hawk
Buteo albicaudatus
Savanna Hawk
Buteogallus meridionalis
Roadside Hawk
Rupornis magnirostris
American Swallow-tailed Kite
Elanoides forficatus
Long-winged Harrier
Circus buffoni
White-tailed Kite
Elanus leucurus
Plumbeous Kite
Ictinia plumbea
Hook-billed Kite
Chondrohierax uncinatus
Chaco Eagle
Harpyhaliaetus coronatus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a King Vulture in Emas National Park?
About 4% of wildlife watchers report a King Vulture sighting in Emas National Park, based on 8 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see King Vulture in Emas National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for King Vulture in Emas National Park in our monthly data.