''Sarcoramphus'' is a genus of
New World vulture
The New World vulture or condor family, Cathartidae, contains seven extant species in five genera. It includes five extant vultures and two extant condors found in warm and temperate areas of the Americas. The "New World" vultures were widespread ...
that contains a single extant species, the
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 Mexic ...
''(Sarcoramphus papa)''.
Extinct members of the genus include the Kern vulture (''
Sarcoramphus kernense'') from the mid-
Pliocene
The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58[North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...](_blank)
,
and ''
Sarcoramphus fisheri'' from the
Late Pleistocene
The Late Pleistocene is an unofficial Age (geology), age in the international geologic timescale in chronostratigraphy, also known as Upper Pleistocene from a Stratigraphy, stratigraphic perspective. It is intended to be the fourth division of ...
of
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del PerĂº.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
.
A
hypothetical species
Several species have been assumed to exist, but due to a lack of evidence they can only be regarded as potential species. They have caused confusion, as they may have been a separate species, a subspecies, an introduced species or a misidentifica ...
known as the painted vulture is also assigned to this genus, but no concrete proof of its existence has been found as of yet.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15734727
Cathartidae
Bird genera
Bird genera with one living species