Sarcoramphus kernense (SciiFii)

The North American king vulture (Sarcoramphus kernense), also known as the northern king vulture and the Kern vulture, is a species of New World vulture of the Cathartidae family that originally lived in North America during the Pliocene and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced throughout the western and southwestern United States and Mexico to help boost biodiversity. The North American king vulture is slightly larger and more robust than the South American species. This species of vulture lives predominantly in temperate and subtropical forests, swamps, and open woodlands, although it is known to inhabit grasslands, shrublands, scrublands, and, unlike its South American relatives, deserts. Large and predominantly gray with some black patches, the North American king vulture has gray to black ruff, flight, and tail feathers. The head and neck are bald, with the skin color varying, including yellow, orange, blue, purple, and red. The North American king vulture has a very noticeable orange fleshy caruncle on its beak. This vulture is a scavenger and it often makes the initial cut into a fresh carcass. It also displaces smaller New World vulture species from a carcass. North American king vultures have been known to live for up to 30 years in captivity. The conservation status of the North American king vulture is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the North American king vulture's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.