9 Scary Birds That Will Make You Cherish Your Spot On The Food Chain

The Scary King Vulture Of Mayan Legends

Wikimedia CommonsIn ancient Mayan legends, the king vulture served as a messenger between mortals and the Gods.

It’s been suggested that king vultures were named after an old Mayan legend that viewed the bird as a “king” or a “lord” responsible for carrying messages between mortals and the Gods. While that naturally remains unsubstantiated, the Sarcoramphus papa is a powerful beast in its own right.

This aerial carnivore typically weighs between six to 10 pounds and can grow up to 32 inches long with a wingspan of up to five and a half feet. Like other vultures, the king vulture is a scavenger. Gliding on air currents to conserve energy, they look out below for carcasses to feast on.

This scavenging fills a vital ecological purpose — curbing the spread of disease by removing rotten remains. Though their white and black tails and wingtips resemble those of other vultures, this creature is otherwise rather striking.

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These birds have an odd-looking and fleshy wattle called a "caruncle" right above their nostrils. Its purpose remains entirely unknown to this day.Wikimedia Commons

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These birds are easily recognizable by their colorful heads and necks.Wikimedia Commons

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The king vulture is the second largest New World vulture, trailing behind only the condor.Wikimedia Commons

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This species can grow to two and a half feet tall and weigh up to eight pounds.Wikimedia Commons

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King vultures have a collar of feathers on the base of their necks and a crown covered in small feathers.Susanne Nilsson/Flickr

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King vultures don't have eyelashes, with is rather rare among the New World vultures.Eric Kilby/Flickr

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King vultures feed on carrion and use their strong beaks to tear through flesh while holding the meat with their claws.Dennis Jarvis/Flickr

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Despite the strength of their beaks, this vulture relies on stronger birds to make the first ferocious incisions.Russ/Flickr

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This species is currently listed as "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, though their population is decreasing due to habitat loss.Brian Gratwicke/Flickr

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King vultures can live for up to 30 years in captivity.Tracie Hall/Flickr

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The king vulture has the largest skull and braincase and the strongest bill relative to their size of all the New World vultures.Paul VanDerWerf/Flickr

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The bird's caruncle does not fully form until they're four years old.angela n./Flickr

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Questions about their reproductive habits in the wild continue to intrigue experts.angela n./Flickr

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The king vulture inhabits around 5.4 million square miles, from southern Mexico to Argentina.Eric Kilby/Flickr

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These birds soar for hours with ease, flapping only infrequently, while searching for food. Bart van Dorp/Flickr

The King Vulture

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With yellowish eyes and rainbow-colored heads and necks, the king vulture's upper half reminds one of more tropical birds than their actual habitat reveals. Similar to the Dracula parrot, king vultures are bald. This helps the bird stay clean and free of a bacterial infection otherwise festering on their heads.

King vultures are some of the largest scavengers in the world and have hooked beaks that perfectly evolved to let them rip through gamey carcasses. Smaller birds are well aware to make way once a king vulture arrives, and make sure to give them space enough to feast.

In terms of reproductive habits, these avians nest on the ground with females laying a single egg that both parents incubate. The shared responsibility continues during an offspring's fledgling period, with both parents bringing back food whenever they find some.

Fortunately for this species, which dwells in the forested lowlands from southern Mexico to southern Argentina, their status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature is listed as "Least Concern."