LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Vulture: King Vulture
built 254 days ago
Description: The King Vulture is the largest of New World Vultures (other than condors). The average King Vulture measures 32 inches in length and has a wingspan of six and a half feet. The adult is unmistakable with a multi-colored, featherless head, bright orange or pink neck, and conspicuous white eyes. There is a fleshy, yellow wattle that hangs from the base of the bill. The base of the neck has a "ruff" of grayish feathers. The massive body is white or off-white with black wing tips.
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The King Vulture, known as "king jan kro" in Belize, is the largest and most colorful of the four species of vulture in Belize. The extremely thick and strong bill is well adapted for tearing, and the long, thick claws for holding the meat.
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The mind-boggling rise of Cerberus -- from a fringe vulture fund started with a grubstake of about $10 million in 1992 to a Wall Street powerhouse -- has been driven by its enigmatic boss, Stephen A. Feinberg, 45. Like other hedge-fund managers and buyout kings, Feinberg has a penchant for secrecy, although his is more developed than most. While co-founder William L. Richter deals with investors, and lieutenants such as former Vice-President Dan Quayle jet around the globe to seal deals, the mustached Feinberg keeps very much to himself in a nondescript office on the 22nd floor of a high-rise on Manhattan's Park Avenue.
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Little is known of the King Vulture nesting habits. usually one chick is hatched, and it remains black for about three years before turning a pure white. Habitat destruction is the main cause of the decline of this species. Belize fortunately still protects healthy populations of this magnificent bird.
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Like other vultures, the king vulture is a scavenger. These large birds glide on air currents, conserving energy while searching the forests or savanna below for the corpses of dead animals. Because of their unappetizing eating habits, they fill an ecological niche, and may help to prevent the spread of disease by disposing of rotting remains.
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King Vulture