California condor: habitat and species description

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:46

Everyone who has anything to do with ornithology is well aware that the Californian condor is not only the largest bird in the world, but also one of the rarest. Unfortunately, due to certain circumstances, today it is on the verge of almost complete extinction. After reading this article, you will find out what representatives of this species look like and where they live.

Biology and lifestyle

Condor, the photo of which is presented in this publication, is capable of speeds up to 90 km/h. It uses air currents to facilitate flight. In search of food, these birds usually leave at dawn. In the case of a successful hunt, they spend the rest of the day in a state of calm wakefulness.

The California Condor is considered a long-liver. Its average life expectancy is about sixty years. At the same time, individuals who have reached the age of six are sexually mature. For nesting, these strong monogamous birds choose secluded caves orhigh rocky ledges. The female lays only one very large white egg. The incubation process continues for a month and a half.

How do young animals grow?

Hatched chick develops rather slowly. That is why he spends the next six months of his life with his parents. The three-month-old condor, whose photo cannot accurately convey all the beauty and power of these birds, leaves the nest from time to time to make its first flights. Parents teach him everything that can be useful in an adult independent life.

What does the California Condor eat?

The bird only eats carrion in various stages of decomposition. Soaring high in the sky, she looks out for suitable prey, which mainly consists of the corpses of large ungulates. Despite the fact that condors mainly inhabit mountainous landscapes, they can also feed on flat terrain.

In everything that has to do with eating, these birds have a strict hierarchy. Young individuals start eating only after dominant and older condors. Having sated, they fly away for a rather long rest, for which they choose a predominantly secluded calm place.

California condor description

These are powerful and majestic birds with a wingspan of 3.4 meters. The average weight of an adult is from seven to fourteenkilograms. Outwardly, the female is very similar to the male, the only distinguishing feature by which sex can be recognized is the size of the bird.

The Californian condor, whose long body is covered with black plumage, has a bare neck surrounded by a beautiful feather collar. Under the wings of the bird is a white triangle. On the bald pink head is a short, strong and curved beak, which is ideally suited for butchering fresh, undecomposed carrion.

Young birds can be recognized by their brownish-brown plumage with a light border. Their back is covered with a scaly pattern, and the secondary wing wings lack white. The most interesting thing is that the final change in appearance occurs only by the age of four.

Why were they listed in the Red Book?

In the 19th century, a sharp decline in the number of Californian condors began. This happened for several reasons. The main role in the disappearance of these birds was played by direct persecution by shepherds, who unreasonably believed that the Californian condor was destroying sheep herds. The high vulnerability of these birds is also due to the rather extensive nesting and hunting areas, sometimes amounting to about 90 kilometers. Also, the sharp reduction in the number of livestock was affected by the active use of pesticides intended to combat ground squirrels.

The combination of all of the above factors led to the fact that in the first half of the 1980s there were only 22 birds in the world. In 1893 scientists were able toselect a few eggs and grow them in artificial conditions. After some time, people had to resort to even more drastic measures to save the condors. In 1987, six surviving individuals were placed in captivity, where 27 tamed birds were already kept. Fortunately, all of them successfully adapted to the new conditions of existence and even began to multiply.

As a result, by 2003, scientists managed to increase the total population of condors to 223 individuals, 85 of which were reintroduced into the wild of Northern Arizona.

Currently, the habitat of representatives of this species is limited to the coastal regions of California. They primarily inhabit southeastern Monterey County and northern Los Angeles. Also, Californian condors can be seen in Tulare and around Kern. Previously, this bird lived in the states of Oregon and Washington.