Condor

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Condor
Temporal range: Late Pliocene – Holocene
Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) at Colca Canyon.jpg
Andean condor soaring over southern Peru's Colca Canyon
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Cathartidae
Genera

Condor is the common name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. The name derives from the Quechua kuntur. [1] [2] They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere.

Contents

One species, the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), inhabits the Andean mountains. The other, the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus), is currently restricted to the western coastal mountains of the contiguous United States and Mexico, as well as the northern desert mountains of Arizona.

Taxonomy

Condors are part of the family Cathartidae, which contains the New World vultures, whereas the 15 species of Old World vultures are in the family Accipitridae, which also includes hawks, eagles, and kites. The New World and Old World vultures evolved from different ancestors. They both are carrion-eaters and the two groups are similar in appearance due to convergent evolution.

Description

Condors are very large, broad-winged soaring birds, the Andean condor being 3 inches (7.6 centimetres) to 6 inches (15.2 centimetres) shorter (beak to tail) on average than the northern species, but heavier and larger in wingspan. [3] The Andean condor has a wingspan of 2.7–3.1 metres (8 feet 10+1⁄2 inches – 10 feet 2 inches) [4] and even up to about 3.20 metres (10 ft 6 in) and a weight of 8–15 kg, [3] with males ranging from to 11 to 15 kg (24 to 33 lb) and females 7.5 to 11 kg (17 to 24 lb). [5] Meanwhile the California condor has a weight of 8–14 kg and wingspan of about 109 inches, or 2.77 meters. [3] California condors are North America's largest flying land birds. [3] Among all living flying birds, the Andean condor is the third heaviest after the Kori bustard and great bustard (up to 21 kg or 46 lb), and second only to the wandering albatross (up to 3.5 m or 11 ft 6 in) in wingspan. [6] [7] Measurements are usually taken from specimens reared in captivity. [4]

Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) Colca-condor-c09.jpg
Andean condor (Vultur gryphus)

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, 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.

Andean condor soaring over southern Peru's Colca Canyon Condor flying over the Colca canyon in Peru.jpg
Andean condor soaring over southern Peru's Colca Canyon
Immature California condor California-condor.jpg
Immature California condor

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.

Fossil record

Fossils of both extinct and extant condor species from the Pleistocene era have been found in various parts of North America, including New York and Florida, leading scientists to hypothesize that California condors (as well as their ancestors and relatives) once lived on the west coast of North America as well as to the eastern coast, until their eventual extinction/extirpation. Some scientists also have found that an ancient relative of the condor, Argentavis magnificens from South America, may have been the largest flying bird ever with a wingspan of up to twenty-four feet. [8]

Behavior

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 recording maintaining such flight for 171 kilometers (106 mi), for over five hours. [13] Because of their size, these birds tend to rely on strong thermal currents to propel them higher into wind currents. [14]

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 can 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 ]

Habitat

Each condor inhabits a very different set of locations. The Andean condor naturally resides in South America, particularly the Western Coast. They range from the entirety of the coast but tend to live towards the Andes and Patagonia mountain chains. California condors make up 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. A unique component of Andean condor habitat is there lack of physical nesting and will likely continue using the same location for many years. [17] California condors tend to only occasionally nest in the same place but will continue to come back to the same geographic area. [16]

Threats

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. [18] 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. [19] Human threats are more indirect to California condors, human use of lead in bullets and other items, have become 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 from a subset of twenty-two bred in captivity. [20] Such efforts have lead to a rise to much higher numbers for the birds. In South America similar programs have begun for the Andean Condor but its success is not as vital to maintain population numbers. [10]

Other

The Moche people of ancient Peru worshiped nature. [21] They emphasized animals and often depicted condors in their art. [22] In Andean mythology, the Andean condor was representative of a sun deity, and often was perceived as ruling part of the higher world. Even now the bird continues to be considered a symbol of power and health. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vulture</span> Common name for a type of bird

A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture. Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and South America and consist of seven identified species, all belonging to the Cathartidae family. A particular characteristic of many vultures is a bald, unfeathered head. This bare skin is thought to keep the head clean when feeding, and also plays an important role in thermoregulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New World vulture</span> Family of birds

Cathartidae, known commonly as New World vultures or condors, are a family of birds of prey consisting of seven extant species in five genera. It includes five extant vultures and two extant condors found in the Americas. They are known as "New World" vultures to distinguish them from Old World vultures, with which the Cathartidae does not form a single clade despite the two being similar in appearance and behavior as a result of convergent evolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkey vulture</span> Most widespread New World vulture

The turkey vulture is the most widespread of the New World vultures. One of three species in the genus Cathartes of the family Cathartidae, the turkey vulture ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America. It inhabits a variety of open and semi-open areas, including subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and deserts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black vulture</span> New World vulture

The black vulture, also known as the American black vulture, Mexican vulture, zopilote, urubu, or gallinazo, is a bird in the New World vulture family whose range extends from the southeastern United States to Perú, Central Chile and Uruguay in South America. Although a common and widespread species, it has a somewhat more restricted distribution than its compatriot, the turkey vulture, which breeds well into Canada and all the way south to Tierra del Fuego. It is the only extant member of the genus Coragyps, which is in the family Cathartidae. Despite the similar name and appearance, this species is not closely related to the Eurasian black vulture, an Old World vulture, of the family Accipitridae. For ease of locating animal corpses, black vultures tend to inhabit relatively open areas with scattered trees, such as chaparral, in addition to subtropical forested areas and parts of the Brazilian pantanal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinereous vulture</span> Species of bird

The cinereous vulture is a large raptor in the family Accipitridae and distributed through much of temperate Eurasia. It is also known as the black vulture, monk vulture and Eurasian black vulture. With a body length of 1.2 m, 3.1 m (10 ft) across the wings and a maximum weight of 14 kg (31 lb), it is the largest Old World vulture and largest member of the Accipitridae family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marabou stork</span> Species of bird

The marabou stork is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae native to sub-Saharan Africa. It breeds in both wet and arid habitats, often near human habitation, especially landfill sites. It is sometimes called the "undertaker bird" due to its shape from behind: cloak-like wings and back, skinny white legs, and sometimes a large white mass of "hair". It has often been credited with the largest wingspan of any land bird, with an average of 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) and some recorded examples of up to 3.2 metres (10 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California condor</span> Large New World vulture, North America

The California condor is a New World vulture and the largest North American land bird. It became extinct in the wild in 1987 when all remaining wild individuals were captured, but has since been reintroduced to northern Arizona and southern Utah, the coastal mountains of California, and northern Baja California in Mexico. It is the only surviving member of the genus Gymnogyps, although four extinct members of the genus are also known. The species is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as Critically Endangered, and similarly considered Critically Imperiled by NatureServe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andean condor</span> Species of bird

The Andean condor is a South American New World vulture and is the only member of the genus Vultur. It is found in the Andes mountains and adjacent Pacific coasts of western South America. With a maximum wingspan of 3.3 m and weight of 15 kg (33 lb), the Andean condor is one of the largest flying birds in the world, and is generally considered to be the largest bird of prey in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalmatian pelican</span> Species of bird

The Dalmatian pelican is the largest member of the pelican family and perhaps the world's largest freshwater bird, although rivaled in weight and length by the largest swans. They are elegant soaring birds, with wingspans rivaling those of the great albatrosses, and their flocks fly in graceful synchrony. With a range spanning across much of Central Eurasia, from the eastern Mediterranean in the west to the Taiwan Strait in the east, and from the Persian Gulf in the south to Siberia in the north, it is a short-to-medium-distance migrant between breeding and overwintering areas. No subspecies are known to exist over its wide range, but based on size differences, a Pleistocene paleosubspecies, P. c. palaeocrispus, has been described from fossils recovered at Binagadi raion in Azerbaijan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King vulture</span> Large bird found in Central and South America

The king vulture is a large bird found in Central and South America. It is a member of the New World vulture family Cathartidae. This vulture lives predominantly in tropical lowland forests stretching from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. It is the only surviving member of the genus Sarcoramphus, although fossil members are known.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James's flamingo</span> Species of bird

James's flamingo, also known as the puna flamingo, is a species of flamingo that lives at high altitudes in the Andean plateaus of Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and northwest Argentina.

<i>Argentavis</i> Extinct genus of very large birds

Argentavis is an extinct genus of teratornithid known from three sites in the Epecuén and Andalhualá Formations in central and northwestern Argentina dating to the Late Miocene (Huayquerian). The type species, A. magnificens, is sometimes called the giant teratorn. Argentavis was among the largest flying birds to ever exist, holding the record for heaviest flying bird, although it was surpassed in wingspan after the 2014 description of Pelagornis sandersi, which is estimated to have possessed wings some 20% longer than those of Argentavis.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andean cock-of-the-rock</span> Species of bird

The Andean cock-of-the-rock, also known as tunki (Quechua), is a large passerine bird of the cotinga family native to Andean cloud forests in South America. It is the national bird of Peru. It has four subspecies and its closest relative is the Guianan cock-of-the-rock.

<i>Teratornis</i> Extinct genus of birds

Teratornis was a genus of huge North American birds of prey—the best-known of the teratorns—of which, two species are known to have existed: Teratornis merriami and Teratornis woodburnensis. A large number of fossil and subfossil bones, representing more than 100 individuals, have been found in locations in California, Oregon, southern Nevada, Arizona, and Florida, though most are from the Californian La Brea Tar Pits. All remains except one Early Pleistocene partial skeleton from the Leisey Shell Pit near Charlotte Harbor, Florida date from the Late Pleistocene, with the youngest remains dating from the Pleistocene–Holocene boundary.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater yellow-headed vulture</span> Species of bird

The greater yellow-headed vulture, also known as the forest vulture, is a species of bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae. It was considered to be the same species as the lesser yellow-headed vulture until they were split in 1964. It is found in South America in tropical moist lowland forests. It is a fairly large bird, with a wingspan of 166–178 cm (65–70 in), a weight of 1.65 kilograms (3.6 lb) and a body length of 64–75 cm (25–30 in). The body plumage is black, and the head and neck, which are featherless, range in color from deep yellow to pale orange. It lacks a syrinx, and its vocalizations are therefore limited to grunts or low hisses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater roadrunner</span> Species of bird

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References

  1. ↑ J. Simpson; E. Weiner, eds. (1989). "Raven". Oxford English Dictionary (2nd ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN   0-19-861186-2.
  2. ↑ "A Quechua metaphor for a plane: Kuntur-man = "looking like a Condor"". Quechua.org.uk. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Bildstein, Keith L. (March 15, 2022), "2 Species Descriptions and Life Histories", Vultures of the World, Cornell University Press, pp. 20–97, doi:10.1515/9781501765025-004, ISBN   978-1-5017-6502-5 , retrieved May 22, 2023
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Ferguson-Lees, James; Christie, David A. (2001). Raptors of the World. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN   0-618-12762-3.
  5. ↑ Lutz, Dick; Lutz, Richard L. (2002). Patagonia: At the Bottom of the World . DIMI Press. pp.  71–74. ISBN   0-931625-38-6.
  6. ↑ Robertson, C. J. R. (2003). "Albatrosses (Diomedeidae)". In Hutchins, Michael (ed.). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins (2 ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. pp. 113–116, 118–119. ISBN   0-7876-5784-0.
  7. ↑ Dunn, Jon L.; Alderfer, Jonathon (2006). "Accidentals, Extinct Species". In Levitt, Barbara (ed.). National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America (fifth ed.). Washington D.C.: National Geographic Society. p. 467. ISBN   978-0-7922-5314-3.
  8. ↑ Campbell, K.E. & Tonni, E.P. 1983. Size and locomotion in teratorns (Aves: Teratornithidae). Auk. 1983; 100(2): 390-403
  9. ↑ "The world's oldest condor dies". Ennahar Online. July 28, 2010. Archived from the original on June 5, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Avian Conservation". National Aviary. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  11. ↑ Handler, Ian (2018). "Andean condor nesting and behavior: A study of a free-living pair and chick as well as population behavior near Antisana Ecological Reserve, Ecuador" (PDF). SIT Digital Collections: 18.
  12. ↑ Donázar, José A.; Travaini, Alejandro; Ceballos, Olga; Rodríguez, Alejandro; Delibes, Miguel; Hiraldo, Fernando (January 1, 1999). "Effects of sex-associated competitive asymmetries on foraging group structure and despotic distribution in Andean condors". Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 45 (1): 55–65. Bibcode:1999BEcoS..45...55D. doi:10.1007/s002650050539. hdl: 10261/39777 . ISSN   1432-0762. S2CID   24420560.
  13. ↑ Dvorsky, George (July 14, 2020). "Andean Condor Soared for 100 Miles Without Flapping Its Wings". Gizmodo. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Andean Condor". American Bird Conservancy. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Andean Condor". Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  16. 1 2 "California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  17. ↑ Begazo, Alfredo (May 10, 2023). "All About Andean Condors Nesting Habits". Avian Report. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  18. ↑ IUCN (2020). "Gymnogyps californianus". IUCN Redlist.
  19. 1 2 "Andean Condor". American Bird Conservancy. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  20. ↑ "California Condor Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". www.allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  21. ↑ Benson, Elizabeth. The Mochica: A Culture of Peru. New York: Praeger Press, 1972.
  22. ↑ Berrin, Katherine & Larco Museum. The Spirit of Ancient Peru:Treasures from the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1997.
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