Condor

Condor Temporal range: Late Pliocene – Holocene
Andean condor soaring over southern Peru's Colca Canyon
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Accipitriformes
Family:	Cathartidae
Genera
Vultur Gymnogyps

Condor is the common name for two

Condors are part of the family

Condors are very large, broad-winged soaring

The adult plumage is uniformly black, except for a frill of white feathers nearly surrounding the base of the neck, which are meticulously kept clean by the bird. As an adaptation for hygiene, the condor's head and neck have few feathers, which exposes the skin to the sterilizing effects of dehydration and solar ultraviolet light at high altitudes. The head is much flattened above. In the male, it is crowned with a caruncle or comb, while the skin of the neck lies in folds, forming a wattle. The head and neck skin can flush noticeably in response to the emotional state and transmitted between individuals.^[4] In Andean condors, specifically males, there is typically an extra group of skin,^{[clarification needed]} much like that of a turkey. Alternatively, Andean condors often have a white feather collar at the base of their head. Most California condors are without an extra plumage and display a longer neck than that of the Andean.

The middle toe is greatly elongated, the hind one is slightly developed, and the nails of all the toes are comparatively straight and blunt. The feet are thus more adapted to walking (as in their closely related storks) and of little use as weapons or organs of prehension (as in birds of prey and Old World vultures). Contrary to the usual rule among birds of prey, the female is smaller than the male.^[4]

California condors' skin on the neck varies in color, depending on the age of the birds. During the breeding season, adult birds' skin color can be cream, pink, yellow, or orange.^[4] Most commonly, Andean tend to utilize white or black skin tones, while the California condor leans towards pink.

Pleistocene fossils of both extinct and extant condor species have been discovered across North America, from New York to Florida. These findings indicate that California condors and their relatives had a much broader historical range than their current distribution, extending from the western coastline to the eastern seaboard before local extinctions reduced their territory.

The fossil record also reveals connections to ancient South American relatives.

Sexual maturity and breeding behavior do not appear in the condor until 5 or 6 years of age. Condors are monogamous creatures and will mate for life. They may live for 50 years or more and the world's oldest condor died at 100 in the Jardin d'Essai du Hamma in Algiers.^[9] Condors nest with one chick at a time, laying one egg every year to year and a half. Due to their size, condors require lots of care and nutrition very early on in their chick stage.^[10]

These birds tend to be more social than other birds of prey. They often clump in smaller groups and socialize and rest together. They will often revisit the same locations for daily activities and seasonal roosts.

The young are covered with a grayish down until they are almost as large as their parents. They can fly after six months but continue to roost and hunt with their parents until age two, when they are displaced by a new clutch. There is a well-developed social structure within large groups of condors; a recent study showed the 'pecking order' is determined by age group and, within age groups, by sex (which contradicts previous findings).^[11][12]

The lack of a large sternum to anchor correspondingly large flight muscles identifies it physiologically as a primary soarer. The birds flap their wings on rising from the ground, but after attaining a moderate elevation, they seem to sail on the air, transiting from one upstream to the next, often without flapping their wings. One Andean condor was recorded maintaining such flight for 171 kilometers (106 mi), for over five hours.

Wild condors inhabit large territories, often traveling 250 km (160 mi) a day in search of carrion. With such a large wingspan these birds can sometimes get by with one single wing flap over an hour.[15] They prefer large carcasses, such as deer or cattle, which they spot by looking for other scavengers. However, these rival species cannot rip through the tougher hides of these larger animals with the efficiency of a larger condor. In the wild, they are intermittent eaters, often going for a few days without eating, then gorging themselves on several kilograms (pounds) at once, sometimes to the point of being unable to lift off the ground.^{[citation needed]}

Each condor inhabits a very different set of locations. The Andean condor naturally resides in South America, particularly the Western coast. They range along the entirety of the coast, but tend to live towards the Andes and Patagonia mountain chains. California condors occupy a different global location. As the name implies, these condors tend to live in California and the Southwest United States. Occasionally, the California condor will take up residence in Northwest Mexico. Both species tend to prefer high altitudes, roughly 16,000 feet, for habitat creation. Most commonly these species will reside on the caves or cliffsides of mountains at this altitude range. Occasionally, California condors will also nest in large redwood tree cavities.^[16] Condors instinctively choose locations that naturally protect their young from predators, like golden eagles, given the elevation and isolation.

Both species of condor have significant threats facing their livelihood. The IUCN defines the Andean condor as a near-threatened species, while the California condor is considered endangered despite recovery programs.^[17] Human threats are currently the more dire to both species. Andean condors tend to be purposefully shot or poisoned because of prejudice or assumed connections between condors and eating cattle. Another threat to Andean condors is local belief in medicinal properties in the bones and organs of the birds, leading to hunting.^[18] Human threats are more indirect to California condors: human use of lead in bullets and other items has resulted in lead becoming an unintentional part of the condor diet, leading to a dramatic drop in their population over the years. Currently, California has instated a breeding program to aid in recovery, and all the current wild condors are from a subset of twenty-two bred in captivity.^[19] Such efforts have led to a rise to much higher numbers for the birds. In South America similar programs have begun for the Andean condor but their success is not as vital to maintain population numbers.^[10]

The

• 
  California condor's head
• 
  California condor in flight over the Grand Canyon
• 
  Condor flying alone in the Grand Canyon, Arizona
• 
  Numbered condor in Grand Canyon, Arizona
• 
  Moche condor. 300 AD. Larco Museum Collection Lima, Peru.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to California condor.

Wikispecies has information related to Andean condor.

Wikispecies has information related to California condor.

Look up condor in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• BirdLife Species Factsheet Andean Condor
• BirdLife Species Factsheet California Condor Archived January 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• California Condor Conservation Archived February 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
• Scientists Work to Repopulate Colombia's Skies with Condors - slideshow by the Los Angeles Times
• Ventana Wildlife Society: Condor Recovery