"Fly on your way, like an eagle Fly as high as the sun On your way, like an eagle Fly, touch the sun..." - IRON MAIDEN

Lappet-faced Vulture gliding over the Masai Mara at Dusk

The lappet-faced vulture is a huge species, ranking as the longest and largest winged vulture in its range behind the closely related cinereous vulture. Overall, the lappet-faced vulture is blackish above with a strongly contrasting white thigh feathers. The black feathers on the back of African vultures are lined with brown, while Arabian birds are dark brown rather than black above. The underside can range from pure white to buff-brown. Like many vultures, it has a bald head. The head coloration can range from reddish in southern Africa to dull pink in more northern Africa to pink on the back of the head and gray on the front in the Arabian Peninsula.

Shot: Oct 24, 2012