The King Vulture is a large Vulture, and characteristic of most of the American Vultures, the head and neck are mostly bare. The sides of the head are, however, covered with short, dense, "hairlike" feathers. The rest of the head and neck are colored with various shades of red, orange and blue. Most of the body, wing and underside is white, excluding the ruff, tail, primaries, secondaries and rump, which are black. Immatures are uniformly black, with black, unfeathered heads.
Nests are not constructed; eggs are laid on the ground, and are incubated by both parents for 56-58 days. The egg itself is white.
The main food source is carrion, although it has been reported to take live animals. It is dominant over carrion, and is theoried to hunt by scent. It may also use other scavengers as a "marker" for food.
The King Vulture resides in lowland tropical forests. The method of surveying for food consists of short glides and large wingbeats, which is contrary to the usual long glides of most vultures. The King Vulture is found primarily in southern Mexico, Central and South America. Due to loss of habitat, the King Vulture is not common and there is little information about this noble vulture.