High Quality
Open the downloaded document, and select print from the file menu (PDF reader required).
Excerpted from
© by the Regents of the University of California.Not to be reproduced without publisher’s written permission.
Important Characteristicsof the California Condor
The California Condor reigns today as the largest soaring birdofcontinental North America.Rarely
fl
apping in
fl
ight,it ismost famous for its magni
fi
cent appearance in the sky,where
GIANT SCAVENGERS
7
it substantially exceeds our native eagles,both in its size andin the grandeur ofits aerial maneuvers.Although it is a birdwithout true vocalizations,the air passing through its
fi
nger-like primary feathers as it
fl
ies creates a steady hissing sound,audible from surprising distances.Often the
fi
rst indicationone has ofan approaching Condor is an eerie crescendo of these wing sounds as a bird courses nearby above mountainridges and meadows.Under favorable wind conditions,theCondor can exceed speeds of40 mph in extended glides andcover nearly 150 miles in daily
fl
ight activities.Except aroundnests,roosts,and food sources,a Condor rarely lingers forlong in any one location.With a wing span often reaching nine to 10 feet and an av-erage weight ofnearly 20 pounds,the California Condor is in-deed a monster among contemporary
fl
ying birds(pl.2).Mostly black in coloration,it has long,triangular whitefeather patches on the undersides ofthe wings,short whitebars on the topsides ofthe wings(pl.3),and a largely nakedhead covered with baggy,wrinkled skin that is mostly brightorange in adults and dark gray in juveniles.At close range,adistinctly hooked tip is visible on the upper bill,and in adults,a bristly dark saddle ofvery short feathers crosses the fore-head in front ofthe eyes(pl.4).The feet are long and gray,andthe heavy toes end in modest blunt claws,quite unlike themassive sharp talons ofeagles and other birds ofprey.To-gether these primary physical attributes characterize a speciesthat does not closely resemble any other living bird,althoughcertain ofits characteristics are shared by other large soaringspecies.The scienti
fi
c name ofthe California Condor,
Gymnogyps californianus,
literally means naked vulture ofCalifornia,re-ferring to the general absence offeathers on the bird’s headand neck and to its primary recent range in California andBaja California.The bird’s present common name,CaliforniaCondor,did not appear in early writings on the species andbecame widespread only in the mid-nineteenth century.Prior
8
GIANT SCAVENGERS
Add a Comment