Michael Braunstein
August 2026 - King Vulture
About the Image(s)
This photo was taken in Costa Rica. I used a Canon R6 with a 100-500mm lens. Flash was not used. The settings were 1/200th F13 ISO 5000. It was shot using 300mm. I used DXO for noise and Camera RAW in photoshop.
12 comments posted
I'm assuming this bird was not wild. What an amazing, colorful head. You managed to capture the motion so well. But I shouldn't be surprised, all your photos are quite good. You could crop a bit of the foreground grass to give an even closer look at that face. Posted: 08/02/2026 16:06:19
It is wild but was being fed along with black vultures and a few other free loaders. Posted: 08/02/2026 16:25:26
Michael,
The King Vulture is the only surviving genus of Sarcoramphus. The in-flight capture is perfectly timed. I like the loose crop that accentuates the habitat and bokeh. This species is known as the 'King of the Dead'. Posted: 08/05/2026 14:32:19
The King Vulture is the only surviving genus of Sarcoramphus. The in-flight capture is perfectly timed. I like the loose crop that accentuates the habitat and bokeh. This species is known as the 'King of the Dead'. Posted: 08/05/2026 14:32:19
thanks for the info Posted: 08/05/2026 14:41:31
A very beautiful photo. Great work. Posted: 08/07/2026 20:29:32
Very interesting bird. Very sharp across the entire bird. I like it's landing approach that reveals the tan and white colored feather nicely along with its muscular body and legs. The distinctive red/orange/black markings on its head and neck are amazing features. Great job! Posted: 08/13/2026 00:11:19
Action shot caught just at the right moment. I imaging that this was one of those shots that you were even more pleased with when you got home and saw the bird's face! One to be very proud of! Posted: 08/14/2026 08:28:18
yes the bird was much clearer for me. Autofocus is wonderful for an 80 year old. Posted: 08/14/2026 12:59:21
Michael, how did you happen to catch this magnificent bird coming towards you? Was he coming in for food? He is so big, does he have trouble taking off? Like Mike said, the facial colors are amazing and to catch him just before touching down was super. this is strong composition and there no distracting elements within the frame. Posted: 08/16/2026 21:53:07
They take off a lot slower than a small bird but with no difficulty. I was behind the food so that is why it was coming towards me. Posted: 08/16/2026 22:18:10
Super shot Michael. At 300mm how far were you actually away from him? Posted: 08/17/2026 12:03:15
As a wild guess 50 feet Posted: 08/17/2026 14:10:38