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California Condor

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Bird of Prey: California Condor

 

The California Condor was on the brink of extinction with its numbers dropping to less than 25. They are still endangered, but conservation efforts have paid off. Last count there were 302 California Condors in existence.

The California Condor

Description 

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.

Range and Habitat 

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.

The lack of feathers on the Condors head and neck is an adaptation. They are carrion eaters which is dead and rotting meat. The lack of feathers exposes the head and neck to the sterilizing effects of ultraviolet light.

California Condor 

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The California Condor 

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California Condor

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California Condor Redwood Nest...

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California Condor Cliff Nest P...

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Mating and Nesting Habits 

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.

The California Condor can soar to heights of 15,000 feet and will travel up to 150 miles in search of its next meal.

Eating Habits 

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 has the largest wingspan of any North American bird, but the Trumpeter Swan beats them out in body length and weight.

Flight 

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.

The California Condor in Flight

Recognizing Birds of Prey 

Hawks from Every Angle: How to Identify Raptors In Flight

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/25/2008)

Hawks in Flight: The Flight Identification of North American Migrant Raptors

Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 07/25/2008)

Birds of Prey Coloring Book (Coloring Books)

Amazon Price: $3.95 (as of 07/25/2008)

Raptors of Western North America: The Wheeler Guides

Amazon Price: $22.76 (as of 07/25/2008)

Conservation Status 

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.

California Condors 

Condor: To the Brink and Back--The Life and Times of One Giant Bird

Amazon Price: $19.72 (as of 07/25/2008)

Condors in Canyon Country: The Return of the California Condor to the Grand Canyon Region

Amazon Price: $12.89 (as of 07/25/2008)

On the Brink of Extinction: The California Condor

Amazon Price: $15.60 (as of 07/25/2008)

California Condors (Returning Wildlife)

Amazon Price: $23.70 (as of 07/25/2008)

California Condor, The (Endangered in America)

Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)

Elizabeth's Websites 

South Carolina Birder
An information blog on wild birds, bird watching, and creating a backyard bird sanctuary.
Elizabeth Jean Allen
Elizabeth Jean Allen grew up in rural Minnesota, but has spent most of her adult life on the shores of South Carolina. She currently resides in Charleston, SC with her husband Chris and their two sons, Charles and Gregory. She spends the bulk of the year teaching high school science, and spends what little free time she has, reading, writing, and studying the birds.

Lizzy's Lenographies 

Other Popular Birds of Prey by Lizzy 

Have you seen any interesting birds lately? 

CCB

I'm glad to see the California Condor making a comeback from the brink of extinction. Good job!

Posted April 02, 2008

SemperFidelis

Very nice lens Elizabeth! 5* ;)

Posted March 26, 2008

Evelyn_Saenz

Thank you for joining www.squidoo.com/groups/woods. I enjoyed reading your lens. Thank you for opening my eyes to new information and ideas.
Please feel free to add as many lenses as relate to the theme and then add them to a plexo. If you don't find a plexo that you're your lens just email me.
Don't forget to visit the other lenses in the group. You can add any of your lenses that are in the Isle of Squid to the last plexo. Please remember to visit the Isle of Squid lenses and review them. I believe that each of these connections will improve the ranks of all of our lenses.
Evelyn

Posted March 20, 2008

Evelyn_Saenz

A Fairy Tale Wolf sniffed out your lens and liked it so well that he is sending you a virtual Skunk Literacy Bag.

While visiting the Miami Metrozoo we saw a California Condor for the first time. Though I had read how big they are there is nothing like seeing one in person.

Great lens!

Posted March 20, 2008

Resources used to construct this page 

Dunn, J.L. & Alderfer, J., Editors. 2006. National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fifth Edition. National Geographic Society.

Peterson, T.P. & Peterson, V.M. 2002. Birds of Eastern and Central North America, Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, N.Y.

Carolina Raptor Center

Western North Carolina Nature Center

University of Minnesota Raptor Center

California Condor, The Peregrine Fund
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ElizabethJeanAllen

About ElizabethJeanAllen

Before I sat down to update my bio, I took a look at my list of lenses. They are as varied as the students in my classroom. Can one be passionate about so many different things?

The poster on the wall of my classroom sums it up nicely. We learn from the Past, Live in the Present, and Plan for the Future. My passion is writing, but I am first and foremost a teacher. The past is full of fascinating people like Benjamin Franklin and Annie Oakley, and there are slices in time that have molded our society into what it is today. Where we came from is every bit as important as where we are going.

We live in the present. Stepping out my back door and spotting a Cardinal or Purple Finch fluttering around my bird feeder, or a Hummingbird winging its way through my flower garden, is bound to bring a smile to my face. Stress doesn't stand a chance against the simple pleasure gleaned from an hour on the back porch watching the birds. When I glance up and spot a Red-tailed Hawk circling high in the sky, I am reminded of the scope and depth of this wonderful world we live in.

Looking ahead, we plan for the future. We live in a beautiful world, but I see the mistakes my generation and the generations before me have made. Much of The Water Around Us is polluted, no longer fit for human consumption. We bury our trash and send smoke and fumes fluttering through the atmosphere. How long can we turn a blind-eye and pretend the problems don't exist?

The Past, the Present, and the Future. All three have shaped me into what I am today. I laugh and I play, I read and I learn. Check out my lenses for surely parts of my heart and soul are hidden within.

I have two lenographys, one for my birds, Busy Lizzy's Bird Lenses and one for the rest of my lenses, Busy Lizzy's Lenses. Check them out and let me know what you think.

Lizzy

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