King Vulture vs Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture

King Vulture

Sarcoramphus papa

Huge3.4 kgForest

Excluding the two species of condors, the king vulture is the largest of the New World vultures. Its overall length ranges from 67 to 81 cm (26–32 in) and its wingspan is 1.2 to 2 m (4–7 ft). Its weight ranges from 2.7 to 4.5 kg (6–10 lb). An imposing bird, the adult king vulture has predominantly white plumage, which has a slight rose-yellow tinge to it. In stark contrast, the wing coverts, flight feathers, and tail are dark grey to black, as is the prominent thick neck ruff.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Anthony Batista · CC BY 4.0

Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture

Cathartes burrovianus

Large935 gGrassland

This is the lightest and smallest of the extant New World vultures despite sometimes measuring at least as long and longer winged than black vultures. The lesser yellow-headed vulture is 53–66 cm (21–26 in) in length, with a wingspan of 150–165 cm (59–65 in) and a tail length of 19–24 cm (7.5–9.4 in). Its weight ranges from 0.95 to 1.55 kg (2.1 to 3.4 lb). Its plumage is black with a green sheen. The throat and the sides of the head are featherless. The head and neck are bare of feathers, and the skin is yellow, with a reddish forehead and nape and a gray-blue crown.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Arjan Haverkamp from Amsterdam, The Netherlands · CC BY 2.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: King Vulture and Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture.