California Condor

The California Condor is a large bird with a body length of 43 to 52 inches and a wingspan of up to 9 ½ feet. The adult is black with large triangular patches of white on the underside of its wings. The head and neck are bald but there is a frill of black feathers surrounding the base of the neck. The Condor's head and neck vary in color, ranging from yellow to a reddish-orange depending on its emotional state.

The Condor's feet are impressive. The middle toe is elongated but its hind one is only slightly developed. The talons on all the toes are straight and blunt. They are better adapted to walking than to gripping prey.

Male and female California Condors are similar in appearance but unlike most birds of prey, the female California Condor is smaller than its mate. The juveniles are predominantly dark brown with blackish coloration on their heads. The markings on the underside of its wings are a mottled gray rather than the distinguishing white triangles.

Before their numbers declined, the California Condor could be found throughout the American Southwest. The last wild bird was taken into captivity in 1987. In recent years captive-bred condors have been released in sanctuaries in southern California and in the Grand Canyon.

California Condors prefer rocky scrubland and coniferous forests. They are often found near cliffs and trees which they use for nesting sites. An individual bird's range is huge. They have been known to travel up to 150 miles in search of carrion.

California Condors reach sexual maturity at 6 years of age. When courting a female, the male turns his head red and puffs out his neck feathers. He spreads his wings and slowly approaches the female. If the female lowers her head, she's accepting the male's advances. Once mated, they mate for life.

The nest is built in a cave or on a cleft in a cliff. There are usually trees nearby as well as open spaces. The female lays one bluish-white egg every other year. If the egg is lost, the female will lay another egg. That trait has been utilized by researchers and breeders to increase the Condor's reproduction rate. They will take the first egg and hand-rear it while the pair produces another egg to replace the lost one.

The egg is incubated for 53 to 60 days by both parents. The chicks are covered with a gray down and don't start sprouting feathers until they are almost as large as their parents. Fledging occurs at 5 to 6 months and the juveniles root and hunt with their parents until they are 2 years old. At that point they are displaced with a new hatchling.

California Condors are carrion eaters. They will travel up to 150 miles in a single day in search of carcasses. They prefer large carcasses such as deer, goats, sheep, horses, bears, and cattle, but will feed off of smaller mammals when necessary. The California Condor does not have a sense of smell. They rely on other scavengers to locate the kill. Once the carcass is found, the Condor uses its size to intimidate other scavengers. Except for Golden Eagles and bears, most the scavengers back off. The Golden Eagle will fight for the right to feed but the bear usually ignores the birds and eats his fill.

California Condors are opportunistic eaters. When food is available, they will gorge themselves sometimes even to the point of having trouble lifting off the ground. After such a feast, they may go a few days to 2 weeks before eating again.

The California Condor is a graceful flyer. They flap their wings in takeoff but once they've reached a good elevation, they glide on thermal air currents. When the currents are right, they can go for miles without ever flapping their wings.

Do you ever wonder how these beautiful birds, or any birds for that matter, can fly? How Birds Can Fly is an excellent in depth article on the topic.

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On the Brink of Extinction: The California Condor
Product Description
Chronicles the plight of the once plentiful California condor, from the attempt in the mid-1980s to capture the few remaining birds and breed them in California zoos, to future plans to reestablish them in the wild.

The California Condor was listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act on March 11, 1967. The few remaining condors were captured and a breeding program established. The breeding program and release into protected habitats has helped, but with just 302 California Condors in existence, the species has a long way to go before it can be removed from the endangered list.

The Raptor Almanac: A Comprehensive Guide to Eagles, Hawks, Falcons, and Vultures
Amazon.com Review
Few people, writes Scott Weidensaul, are apathetic toward raptors. Once you've seen a hawk or a falcon or an eagle in action, you're likely to take an interest in how these great birds of prey make their homes in the world. The Weidensaul's encyclopedic guidebook to the world's principal raptor species, well illustrated with photographs, maps, and charts and full of detailed information, is an ideal companion.

101 Ways to Help Birds
101 Ways to Help Birds offers 101 ways for individuals to help birds and bird populations as a whole, and it explains how these actions make a difference. Any bird lover knows that birds and animals alike need our help. Without it, we will lose more and we have lost enough as it is.