How to Draw a Vulture: Easy 10-Step Guide for Kids

Ready to add a unique bird to your safari sketchbook? This tutorial is perfect for young artists ages 5+ who want to learn how to draw a vulture using simple shapes. All you need is a pencil, an eraser, and a piece of paper to get started.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A colorful, friendly cartoon vulture standing on the ground, ready for a safari adventure.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sketching the Head

A simple light pencil circle drawn on white paper to serve as the base for a vulture's head.

Draw a light circle for the head. Teacher's Tip: Keep your pencil strokes very faint so it's easy to erase any overlapping lines later!

Step 2: Adding Facial Features

Close-up of a vulture's eye and head feathers being drawn with simple oval and curved line shapes.

Draw an oval inside the circle for the eye, and a partial oval just outside the edge. Add a curved line for the eyelid and shade a dark pupil. Tip: Add a few small 'V' shapes on top of the head to represent messy feathers.

Step 3: Sketching the Hooked Beak

Drawing the sharp, hooked beak of a vulture with a small spiral detail for the nostril.

Sketch a triangular beak with a sharp, hooked tip. Add a small spiral near the base for the nostril. Tip: Vultures have powerful beaks, so make the hook look nice and sharp!

Step 4: Forming the Neck

The vulture's head connected to a long, curved neck after erasing the bottom of the initial head circle.

Erase the bottom of your original circle and draw two long, curved lines downward to create the neck. Tip: Keep the neck slightly wobbly to give it a natural, organic look.

Step 5: Adding the Feather Frill

Adding a fluffy collar of feathers at the base of the vulture's neck using overlapping curved lines.

Draw a series of overlapping 'U' shapes around the base of the neck to create a fluffy feather collar. Tip: Vary the size of your 'U' shapes to make the feathers look more realistic.

Step 6: Outlining the Body

Outlining the main body of the vulture by connecting curved lines from the neck to a pointed tail area.

Extend two long, sweeping lines from the neck to form the back and chest, meeting at a point near the tail. Tip: Think of the body as a large, rounded teardrop shape.

Step 7: Drawing the Wing

Adding a detailed folded wing to the vulture's body using overlapping curved lines.

Use overlapping curved lines to sketch the folded wing on the side of the body. Tip: Make the wing look layered by drawing the lines slightly tucked under each other.

Step 8: Sketching the Feet

Drawing the vulture's feet with 'C' shaped toes to represent claws.

Draw the feet using 'C' shapes for the toes. Tip: Vultures have strong claws, so make sure the toes look thick and sturdy.

Step 9: Adding the Tail

Completing the vulture's tail with jagged, curved lines at the base of the body.

Draw the tail feathers by connecting two lines from the body with a series of small, jagged curves at the bottom. Tip: Keep the tail feathers tight and compact.

Step 10: Bringing Your Vulture to Life with Color

A fully colored, cartoon-style vulture illustration with earthy brown feathers and a pink head.

Time to color! Vultures come in many earthy tones like brown, grey, and black. Use a light pink or orange for the head to make it pop. Tip: Use light pressure with your colored pencils to blend colors for a more natural look.