The condor bird is one of the largest flying birds on the planet. It is a predator belonging to the vulture family. Among condors, 2 species are distinguished, depending on the habitat - Andean (living on the Andes ranges) and Californian (common in a small area in California). Representatives of both species have a strong physique, a powerful hook-shaped beak, wide sweeping wings and a bare neck. It is on this red neck that you can distinguish the condor from other birds of prey.
The plumage of adults is black, but the Andean condor bird is distinguished by the presence of white coverts. The size of adults is really impressive. If the body length reaches 1 meter, then the wingspan is up to 3 meters! The condor bird soaring in height terrifies not only animals, but also people. Legends have long circulated that a female can drag a child into the nest and even overpower an adult. But this is just a myth. Condor is not an aggressive bird, but quite peaceful, it does not fight with relatives because of prey. It feeds on carrion: small livestock, deer, mountain goats. Butfinding food is not so easy in the mountains.
Condor is a bird (photo on the left) that can soar for hours, looking for its prey. And, if you're lucky, you eat "in reserve", because it is not known when the next meal will be. This method allows you to survive without food for several days. But, having eaten to satiety, heavy condors sometimes cannot take off.
Because of their body structure and substantial weight, condors prefer to perch on tree branches or on rock ledges. For flight, they need jets of warm air that lift the bird from the ground. For the same reason, the condor bird does not use frequent wing beats when flying. It is much easier to soar with wings outstretched in the air, gliding on air currents.
Mating season is September-October. A monogamous couple is formed, which does not break up until the end of life. Among rivals for the right to possess a lady, a serious struggle flares up. Males collide with their necks, and the strongest has the right to count on the favor of the female. After mating, there is only one egg in the nest.
Caring parents do not leave him, replacing each other, an average of 55 days. After birth, the chick remains helpless for a long time. Parents feed him by regurgitating half-digested meat. The first timid independent flight occurs at 6 months, and full maturation and becoming on the wing occurs at 1 year. By about 5-6 years of age, condors reach sexual maturity and create married couples.
Determined by natureso that in the natural environment, condors have practically no enemies. Hence the amazing longevity for birds - up to 80 years in captivity and 50-60 in nature. But, despite this fact, the number of condors on the planet is scanty. This species is on the verge of extinction. Due to the shooting of birds that took place in colonial America, most of the California condor population was destroyed. People believed that predators exterminate livestock, but as it turned out, this is just a prejudice. In the modern world, only the preservation of birds in nature reserves can prevent their complete disappearance from the face of the Earth.
