NationMaster - Encyclopedia: California Condor

The California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is a species of North American bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae. Currently, this condor inhabits only the Grand Canyon area and western coastal mountains of California and northern Baja California. Although other fossil members are known, it is the only surviving member of the genus Gymnogyps. Download high resolution version (1167x1189, 158 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1167x1189, 158 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Obverse of redesigned quarter The 50 State Quarters program is the release of a series of commemorative coins by the United States Mint. ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... North American redirects here. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Genera Cathartes Coragyps Gymnogyps Sarcorhamphus Vultur The New World vultures family Cathartidae contains seven species found in warm and temperate areas of the Americas. ... Genera Cathartes Coragyps Gymnogyps Sarcorhamphus The New World vulture family Cathartidae contains seven species found in North and South America. ... Genera Vultur Gymnogyps For other uses, see Condor (disambiguation). ... This article is about the canyon in the southwestern United States. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Location within Mexico Municipalities of Baja California Country Capital Municipalities 5 Largest City Tijuana Government - Governor JosÃ© Guadalupe Osuna MillÃ¡n (PAN) - Federal Deputies PAN: 8 - Federal Senators Alejandro GonzÃ¡lez (PAN) Rafael DÃaz (PAN) Fernando Castro (PRI) Area Ranked 12th - Total 69,921 kmÂ² (26,996. ... For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ...

It is a large, black vulture with patches of white on the underside of the wings and a largely bald head with skin color ranging from yellowish to a bright red, depending on the bird's mood. It has the largest wingspan of any bird found in North America and is one of the heaviest. The condor is a scavenger and eats large amounts of carrion. It is one of the world's longest-living birds, with a lifespan of up to 50 years. Orders Falconiformes (Fam. ... The distance AB is the wing span of this Aer Lingus Airbus A320. ... For a person who scavenges, see Waste picker. ... An American Black Vulture feeding on squirrel carrion For other uses, see Carrion (disambiguation). ... This is a list of the oldest living organisms. ...

Condor numbers dramatically declined in the 19th century due to poaching, lead poisoning, and habitat destruction. Eventually, a conservation plan was put in place by the United States government that led to the capture of all the remaining wild condors in 1987. These 22 birds were bred at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and the Los Angeles Zoo. Numbers rose through captive breeding and, beginning in 1991, condors have been reintroduced into the wild. The project is the most expensive species conservation project ever undertaken in the United States. The California Condor is one of the world's rarest bird species. As of March 2008, there are 297 condors known to be living, including 146 in the wild.^[2] For other uses, see Poaching (disambiguation). ... Lead poisoning is a medical condition, also known as saturnism, plumbism or painters colic, caused by increased blood lead levels. ... Habitat destruction is a process of land use change in which one habitat-type is removed and replaced with another habitat-type. ... The conservation movement is a political and social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including plant and animal species as well as their habitat for the future. ... The San Diego Wild Animal Park is a zoo in the San Pasqual Valley area of San Diego, California. ... A summer crowd of the LA Zoo The Los Angeles Zoo is a large zoo located in Los Angeles, California. ... Captive breeding is the process of breeding endangered animals by capturing them from their natural environment, breeding them in restricted conditions in zoos and other conservation facilities, and releasing them back to the wild when the population stabilizes and the threat to the animal in the wild is lessened or...

The condor is a significant bird to many Californian Native American groups and takes an important role in several of their traditional myths. This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... Native American spirituality includes a number of stories and legends that are mythological. ...

Taxonomy

The California Condor was described by English naturalist George Shaw in 1797 as Vultur californianus. It was originally classified in the same genus as the Andean Condor (V. gryphus), but, due to the Andean Condor's slightly different markings, slightly longer wings, and tendency to actually kill small animals to eat,^[3] the California Condor has now been placed in its own monotypic genus. The generic name Gymnogyps is derived from the Greek gymnos/γυμνος "naked" or "bare", and gyps/γυψ "vulture",^[4] while the specific name californianus comes from its location in California. The word condor itself is derived from the Ecuadorian Quechua cuntur.^[5] George Shaw. ... 1797 (MDCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see condor (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Quechuan languages. ...

The exact taxonomic placement of the California Condor and the remaining six species of New World vultures remains unclear.^[6] Though both are similar in appearance and have similar ecological roles, the New World and Old World vultures evolved from different ancestors in different parts of the world. Just how different the two are is currently under debate, with some earlier authorities suggesting that the New World vultures are more closely related to storks.^[7] More recent authorities maintain their overall position in the order Falconiformes along with the Old World vultures^[8] or place them in their own order, Cathartiformes.^[9] The South American Classification Committee has removed the New World vultures from Ciconiiformes and instead placed them in Incertae sedis, but notes that a move to Falconiformes or Cathartiformes is possible.^[6] Taxonomy (from Greek ταξινομία from the words taxis = order and nomos = law) may refer to either a hierarchical classification of things, or the principles underlying the classification. ... Genera Cathartes Coragyps Gymnogyps Sarcorhamphus Vultur The New World vultures family Cathartidae contains seven species found in warm and temperate areas of the Americas. ... Two lichens on a rock, in two different ecological niches In ecology, a niche; (pronounced nich, neesh or nish)[1] is a term describing the relational position of a species or population in its ecosystem[1]. The ecological niche; describes how an organism or population responds to the distribution of... Genera See text. ... For other uses, see Stork (disambiguation). ... Families Accipitridae Pandionidae Falconidae Sagittariidae The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that include the diurnal birds of prey. ... The American Ornithologists Union (AOU) an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders. ... Families Ardeidae Cochlearidae (the Boat-billed Heron) Balaenicipitidae (the Shoebill) Scopidae (the Hammerkop) Ciconiidae Threskiornithidae Cathartidae Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. ... Incertae sedis—of uncertain position (seat)—is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. ...

Evolutionary history

The genus Gymnogyps is a prime example of a relict distribution. During the Pleistocene epoch, this genus was widespread across the Americas. From fossils, the Floridan Gymnogyps kofordi from the Early Pleistocene and the Peruvian Gymnogyps howardae from the Late Pleistocene have been described.^[10] A condor found in Late Pleistocene deposits on Cuba was initially described as Antillovultur varonai, but has since been recognized as another member of Gymnogyps. It may even have been a subspecies of the California Condor.^[10] For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... The term relict is used to refer to surviving remnants of natural phenomena. ... The Pleistocene epoch (IPA: ) on the geologic timescale is the period from 1,808,000 to 11,550 years BP. The Pleistocene epoch had been intended to cover the worlds recent period of repeated glaciations. ... Look up epoch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... World map showing the Americas CIA political map of the Americas in an equal-area projection The Americas are the lands of the New World, consisting of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... Early Pleistocene (also known as Lower Pleistocene, or Calabrian) is a stage of the Pleistocene Epoch. ... Late Pleistocene (also known as Upper Pleistocene or the Tarantian) is a stage of the Pleistocene Epoch. ...

Today's California Condor is the sole surviving member of Gymnogyps and has no accepted subspecies; although its range greatly contracted during the Holocene, the species always had a small and inbred population. However, there is a Late Pleistocene palaeosubspecies, Gymnogyps californianus amplus, which occurred over much of the bird's historical range – even extending into Florida – but was larger, having about the same weight as the Andean Condor. This bird also had a wider bill.^[11] As the climate changed during the last ice age, the entire population became smaller until it had evolved into the Gymnogyps californianus californianus of today.^[12]^[13] The Holocene epoch is a geological period, which began approximately 11,550 calendar years BP (about 9600 BC) and continues to the present. ... A chronospecies is a species which which changes physically, morphologically, genetically, and/or behaviorally over time on an evolutionary scale such that the originating species and the species it becomes could not be classified as the same species had they existed at the same point in time. ... For other uses, see condor (disambiguation). ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years For the animated movie, see Ice Age (movie). ...

Description

The adult California Condor is a uniform black, with the exception, especially in the male, of large triangular patches or bands of white on the underside of the wings. It has gray legs and feet, an ivory-colored bill, a frill of black feathers nearly surrounding the base of the neck, and brownish red eyes.^[14] The juvenile is mostly a mottled dark brown with blackish coloration on the head. It has mottled gray instead of white on the underside of its flight feathers.^[1] Flight is the main mode of locomotion used by most of the worlds bird species. ... Two feathers Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds. ... Red Kite (Milvus milvus) in flight, showing remiges and rectrices. ...

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 skin of the head and neck is capable of flushing noticeably in response to emotional state, a capability that can serve as communication between individuals.^[15] The skin color varies from yellowish to a glowing reddish-orange.^[14] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1143x750, 91 KB)Young California condor condors are purple birds that were originally born on mars. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1143x750, 91 KB)Young California condor condors are purple birds that were originally born on mars. ... Dehydration (hypohydration) is the removal of water (hydro in ancient Greek) from an object. ... Note: Ultraviolet is also the name of a 1998 UK television miniseries about vampires. ...

Contrary to the usual rule among true birds of prey, the female is smaller than the male. Overall length can range from 117–135 centimeters (46–53 in) and the wingspan averages around 2.77 meters (9.1 ft).^[1] Their weight can range from 7–14 kilograms (15–31 lb), with estimations of average weight ranging from 8–9 kilograms (18–20 lb). Most measurements are from birds raised in captivity, so determining if there are any major differences in measurements between wild and captive condors is difficult. Orders Accipitriformes Cathartidae Pandionidae Accipitridae Sagittariidae Falconiformes Falconidae A bird of prey or raptor is a bird that hunts its food, especially one that preys on mammals or other birds. ...

California Condors have the largest wingspan of any North American bird. They are surpassed in both body length and weight only by the Trumpeter Swan and the introduced Mute Swan. The American White Pelican and Whooping Crane also have longer bodies than the condor. Condors are so large that they can be mistaken for a small, distant airplane, which possibly occurs more often than they are mistaken for other species of bird.^[16] Binomial name Cygnus buccinator Richardson, 1832 The Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) is the largest native North American swan. ... Binomial name (Gmelin, 1789) Synonyms Anas olor Gmelin, 1789 Cygnus olor immutabilis var. ... Binomial name Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Gmelin, 1789 The American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is a very large (50â€“70) white bird with black wing tips and an enormous orange bill. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 as of 2007 The Whooping Crane (Grus americana), named for its whooping call, is a very large and endangered crane. ...

The middle toe of the California Condor's foot is greatly elongated, and the hind one is only slightly developed. The talons of all the toes are straight and blunt, and are thus more adapted to walking than gripping. This is more similar to their supposed relatives the storks^[17]^[18] than to birds of prey and Old World vultures, which use their feet as weapons or organs of prehension. Cat claw A claw is a curved pointed appendage, found at the end of a toe or finger or, in arthropods, of the tarsus. ... For other uses, see Stork (disambiguation). ... Genera See text. ... Prehensility is the quality of an organ that has adapted for grasping or holding. ...

Distribution and habitat

Five hundred years ago, the California Condor roamed across the American Southwest. However, due to their decline in numbers, the last wild bird was taken into captivity for the breeding program in 1987. Recently, captive-bred condors have been released in southern California, in Baja California, and at the Grand Canyon.^[1] There are two sanctuaries dedicated to this bird, the Sisquoc Condor Sanctuary in the San Rafael Wilderness^[19] and the Sespe Condor Sanctuary in the Los Padres National Forest. These areas were chosen because of their prime condor nesting habitat. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 Ã— 2112 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 Ã— 2112 pixel, file size: 2. ... Sonoma Mountain is a prominent landform within the Sonoma Mountains of southern Sonoma County, California. ... The Southwest region of the United States is drier than the adjoining Midwest in weather; the population is less dense and, with strong Spanish-American and Native American components, more ethnically varied than neighboring areas. ... This article is about the region of Southern California. ... Location within Mexico Municipalities of Baja California Country Capital Municipalities 5 Largest City Tijuana Government - Governor JosÃ© Guadalupe Osuna MillÃ¡n (PAN) - Federal Deputies PAN: 8 - Federal Senators Alejandro GonzÃ¡lez (PAN) Rafael DÃaz (PAN) Fernando Castro (PRI) Area Ranked 12th - Total 69,921 kmÂ² (26,996. ... This article is about the canyon in the southwestern United States. ... Location of the San Rafael Wilderness in Santa Barbara County, California. ... View into the Los Padres backcountry, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, California: everything in this picture is within the Los Padres National Forest Los Padres National Forest is a forest located in southern and central California, which includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast from Ventura to...

The condors live in rocky scrubland, coniferous forests, and oak savannas.^[20] They are often found near cliffs or large trees, which they use as nesting sites. Individual birds have a huge range and have been known to travel up to 250 kilometers (150 mi) in search of carrion. Scrubland is plant community characterized by scrub vegetation. ... Temperate coniferous forests are a terrestrial biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest. ... An oak savanna is a type of savanna, or lightly-forested grassland, found in central North America. ... An American Black Vulture feeding on squirrel carrion For other uses, see Carrion (disambiguation). ...

Ecology and behavior

When in flight, the movements of the condor are remarkably graceful. The lack of a large sternum to anchor their correspondingly large flight muscles restricts them to being primarily soarers. The birds flap their wings when taking off from the ground, but after attaining a moderate elevation they largely glide, sometimes going for miles without a single flap of their wings. They have been known to fly up to speeds of 90 km/h (55 mph) and as high as 4,600 meters (15,000 ft).^[21] They prefer to roost on high perches from which they can launch without any major wing-flapping effort. Often, these birds are seen soaring near rock cliffs, using thermals to aid them in keeping aloft.^[22] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1212x954, 125 KB)Condor in flight at Grand Canyon National Park File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1212x954, 125 KB)Condor in flight at Grand Canyon National Park File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Flight is the main mode of locomotion used by most of the worlds bird species. ... The sternum (from Greek ÏƒÏ„ÎÏÎ½Î¿Î½, sternon, chest) or breastbone is a long, flat bone located in the center of the thorax (chest). ...

The California Condor has a long life span, reaching up to 50 years. If it survives to adulthood, the condor has few natural threats other than humans.^[23] Their vocal display is limited to grunts and hisses.^[15] Condors bathe frequently and can spend hours a day preening their feathers.^[21] Condors also perform urohydrosis, or defecate on their legs, to reduce their body temperature.^[15] There is a well-developed social structure within large groups of condors, with competition to determine a pecking order decided by body language, competitive play behavior, and a variety of hisses and grunts. This social hierarchy is displayed especially when the birds feed, with the dominant birds eating before the younger ones.^[24] This article is considered orphaned, since there are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when temperature surrounding is very different. ...

Diet

Wild condors inhabit large territories, often traveling 250 kilometers (150 mi) a day in search of carrion.^[25] It is thought that in the early days of its existence as a species, the California Condor lived off of the carcasses of the "megafauna", which are now extinct in North America. They still prefer to feast on large, terrestrial mammalian carcasses such as deer, goats, sheep, donkeys, horses, pigs, mountain lions, bears, or cattle. Alternatively, they may feed on the bodies of smaller mammals, such as rabbits or coyotes, aquatic mammals such as whales and sea lions, or salmon. Bird and reptile carcasses are rarely eaten. Since they do not have a sense of smell,^[26] they spot these corpses by looking for other scavengers, like smaller vultures and eagles, who cannot rip through the tougher hides of these larger animals with the efficiency of the larger condor. They can usually intimidate other scavengers away from the carcass, with the exception of bears, which will ignore them, and Golden Eagles, which will fight a condor over a kill or a carcass.^[14] In the wild they are intermittent eaters, often going for between a few days to two weeks without eating,^[25] then gorging themselves on 1–1.5 kilograms (2–3 lb) of meat at once, sometimes to the point of being unable to lift themselves off the ground.^[27] An American Black Vulture feeding on squirrel carrion For other uses, see Carrion (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Charismatic megafauna be merged into this article or section. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass â€ Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass â€ Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including milk producing sweat glands, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... This article is about the ruminent animal. ... This article is about the domestic species. ... Species See text. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 For other uses, see Donkey (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... For other uses, see Pig (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) The puma (Puma concolor) is a type of large cat found in North, Central and South America. ... For other uses, see Bear (disambiguation). ... For general information about the genus, including other species of cattle, see Bos. ... For other uses, see Rabbit (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Coyote (disambiguation). ... This article is about the animal. ... Genera Eumetopias Zalophus Otaria Neophoca Phocarctos A resting Sea Lion in Galapagos National Park, Ecuador. ... For other uses, see Salmon (disambiguation). ... Reptilia redirects here. ... Orders Falconiformes (Fam. ... Genera Several, see text. ... For other uses, see Golden Eagle (disambiguation). ...

Reproduction

Condors begin to look for a mate when they reach sexual maturity at the age of six.^[21] To attract a prospective mate, the male condor performs a display. In the display, the male turns his head red and puffs out his neck feathers. He then spreads his wings and slowly approaches the female. If the female lowers her head to accept the male, the condors become mates for life.^[24] The pair makes a simple nest in caves or on cliff clefts, especially ones with nearby roosting trees and open spaces for landing. A mated female lays one bluish-white egg every other February or March. The egg weighs about 280 grams (10 oz) and measures from 90–120 millimeters (3½–4¾ in) in length and about 67 millimeters (2⅝ in) in width. If the chick or egg is lost or removed, the parents "double clutch", or lay another egg to take the lost one's place. Researchers and breeders take advantage of this behavior to double the reproductive rate by taking the first egg away for hand-rearing; this induces the parents to lay a second egg, which the condors are sometimes allowed to raise.^[28] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 393 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (420 Ã— 640 pixels, file size: 37 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Gymnogyps californianus Kalifornischer Kondor Source: http://geekphilosopher. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 393 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (420 Ã— 640 pixels, file size: 37 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Gymnogyps californianus Kalifornischer Kondor Source: http://geekphilosopher. ... In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... This article is about Ounce (unit of mass). ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, â€³ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ...

The eggs hatch after 53 to 60 days of incubation by both parents. Chicks are born with their eyes open and sometimes can take up to a week to hatch from their egg.^[15] The young are covered with a grayish down until they are almost as large as their parents. They are able to fly after five to six months, but continue to roost and hunt with their parents until they turn two, at which point they are displaced by a new clutch.^[14] The word incubate in the context of birds refers to the development of the chick (embryo) within the egg and the constant temperature required for the development of it over a specific period. ...

Conservation

At the time of human settlement of the Americas, the California Condor was widespread across North America. However, climate changes associated with the end of the last ice age and the extinction of the Pleistocene megafauna led to a subsequent reduction in range and population. Prehistorically, California Condors are known from Arizona,^[29] Nevada,^[30] New Mexico,^[31]^[32] and Texas.^[33] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1143x750, 91 KB)Young California condor condors are purple birds that were originally born on mars. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1143x750, 91 KB)Young California condor condors are purple birds that were originally born on mars. ... For other uses, see Native Americans (disambiguation). ... This article or section should be merged with Wisconsinan glaciation The Wisconsin (in North America), Weichsel (in Scandinavia), Devensian (in the British Isles) or Würm glaciation (in the Alps) is the most recent period of the Ice Age, and ended some 10,000 Before Present (BP). ... It has been suggested that New World Pleistocene extinctions be merged into this article or section. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Nevada. ... Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Largest metro area Albuquerque metropolitan area Area Ranked 5th - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 kmÂ²) - Width 342 miles (550 km) - Length 370 miles (595 km) - % water 0. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ...

In modern times, a wide variety of causes have contributed to the condor's decline. Its exacting mating habits and resulting low birth rate, combined with a late age of sexual maturity, make the bird vulnerable to loss of population. Significant damage to the condor population is also attributed to poaching, especially for museum specimens,^[34] lead poisoning (from eating animals containing lead shot), DDT poisoning,^[35] electric power lines, egg collecting, and habitat destruction. During the California Gold Rush, some condors were even kept as pets.^[36] For other uses, see Poaching (disambiguation). ... Lead poisoning is a medical condition, also known as saturnism, plumbism or painters colic, caused by increased blood lead levels. ... For other uses: see DDT (disambiguation). ... Power line redirects here. ... Oology is the branch of zoology that deals with the study of eggs, especially birds eggs. ... Habitat destruction is a process of land use change in which one habitat-type is removed and replaced with another habitat-type. ... The California Gold Rush (1848â€“1855) began shortly after January 24, 1848 (when gold was discovered at Sutters Mill in Coloma). ...

In addition to this, cattle ranchers who observed condors feeding on the dead young of their cattle assumed that the birds killed the cattle. This fallacy led to the condor's extinction in some parts of the western United States. This belief was so deeply ingrained that the reintroduction of condors to the Grand Canyon was challenged by some cattle ranchers, who mistakenly believed that the bird hunted calves and lambs.^[37] Reintroduction is the deliberate release of animals from captivity into the wild. ... This article is about the canyon in the southwestern United States. ...

As the condor's population continued to decline, discussion began about starting a captive breeding program for the birds. Opponents to this plan argued that the condors had the right to freedom, that capturing all of the condors would change the species' habits forever, and that the cost was too great.^[38] However, the project received the approval of the United States Government, and the capture of the remaining wild condors was completed on Easter Sunday 1987, when AC-9, the last wild condor, was captured.^[39] There were only 22 condors in existence, all in captivity. The captive breeding program, led by the San Diego Wild Animal Park and Los Angeles Zoo, got off to a slow start due to the condor's mating habits. However, utilizing the bird's ability to double clutch, biologists began removing the first egg from the nest and raising it with puppets, allowing the parents to lay another egg. The government of the United States, established by the United States Constitution, is a federal republic of 50 states, a few territories and some protectorates. ... Easter (also called Pascha) is generally accounted the most important holiday of the Christian year, observed March or April each year to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead (after his death by crucifixion; see Good Friday), which Christians believe happened at about this time of year, almost two... The San Diego Wild Animal Park is a zoo in the San Pasqual Valley area of San Diego, California. ... A summer crowd of the LA Zoo The Los Angeles Zoo is a large zoo located in Los Angeles, California. ... A clutch of blackbird (Turdus merula) eggs. ...

As the number of condors grew, attention began to focus on releasing some back into the wild. In 1988, the US Fish and Wildlife Service began a reintroduction experiment involving the release of captive Andean Condors into the wild in California. Only females were released, to eliminate the possibility of accidentally introducing a South American species into the United States. The experiment was a success, and all the Andean Condors were recaptured and re-released in South America.^[21] California Condors were released in 1991 and 1992 in California, and again in 1996 in Arizona near the Grand Canyon.^[1] Though the birth rate remains low in the wild, their numbers are increasing steadily through regular releases of captive-reared adolescents. The USFWS logo The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a unit of the United States Department of the Interior that is dedicated to managing and preserving wildlife. ... For other uses, see condor (disambiguation). ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...

Unanticipated deaths among these populations occurred due to contact with Golden Eagles, power lines, and other factors such as lead poisoning. Since 1994, captive-bred California Condors have been trained to avoid power lines and people. Since the implementation of this aversion conditioning program, the number of condor deaths due to power lines has greatly decreased.^[40] Lead poisoning due to fragmented lead bullets in large game waste is a particularly big problem for condors due to their extremely strong digestive juices;^[41] this lead waste is not as much of a problem for other avian scavengers such as the Turkey Vulture and Common Raven. This problem has been addressed in California by the Ridley-Tree Condor Preservation Act, a bill that goes into effect January 1, 2008 that requires that hunters use non-lead bullets when hunting in the condor's range.^[42] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 400 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (750 Ã— 1,125 pixels, file size: 362 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: California Condor Chick Creator:San Diego Zoo, Ron Garrison URL: Fish and Wildlife Service File historyClick on a date/time to view the file... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 400 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (750 Ã— 1,125 pixels, file size: 362 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: California Condor Chick Creator:San Diego Zoo, Ron Garrison URL: Fish and Wildlife Service File historyClick on a date/time to view the file... For other uses, see Golden Eagle (disambiguation). ... Lead poisoning is a medical condition, also known as saturnism, plumbism or painters colic, caused by increased blood lead levels. ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Approximate range/distribution map of the Turkey Vulture. ... Binomial name Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 Common Raven range Subspecies The Common Raven (Corvus corax), also known as the Northern Raven, is a large all-black passerine bird in the crow family, with iridescent feathers. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

The California Condor conservation project is also the most expensive species conservation project in United States history,^[43] costing over $35 million, including $20 million in federal and state funding, since World War II.^[44] However, nesting milestones have been recently reached by the reintroduced condors. In 2003, the first nestling fledged in the wild since 1981.^[37] In March 2006, a pair of California Condors attempted to nest in a hollow tree near Big Sur, California. This was the first time in more than 100 years in which a pair of California Condors had been seen nesting in Northern California.^[45] In early 2007, a California condor laid an egg in Mexico for the first time since at least the 1930s.^[46] The population of the condors has risen due to these wild and also captive nestings. As of December 2007 there are 300 individuals living, including 155 in the wild^[47] and the rest in the San Diego Wild Animal Park, the Los Angeles Zoo, the Oregon Zoo or the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... For other uses, see Big Sur (disambiguation). ... The Oregon Zoo, formerly the Washington Park Zoo, is a zoo 2 miles WSW of downtown Portland, Oregon in Portlands Washington Park. ... The World Center for Birds of Prey, located in Boise Idaho, is known throught the globe for its conservation and recovery efforts of several rare and endangered species. ... Boise redirects here. ...

Relationship with humans

Throughout its historic range, the California Condor has been a popular subject of mythology and an important symbol to Native Americans. Unusually,^[48] this bird takes on different roles in the storytelling of the different tribes. Rafael, a Chumash who shared cultural knowledge with Anthropologists in the 1800s Source: http://www. ... Rafael, a Chumash who shared cultural knowledge with Anthropologists in the 1800s Source: http://www. ... Native American spirituality includes a number of stories and legends that are mythological. ... For other uses, see Native Americans (disambiguation). ...

The Wiyot tribe of California say that the condor recreated mankind after Above Old Man wiped humanity out with a flood.^[49] However, other tribes, like California's Mono, viewed the condor as a destroyer, not a creator. They say that Condor seized humans, cut off their heads, and drained their blood so that it would flood Ground Squirrel's home. Condor then seized Ground Squirrel after he fled, but Ground Squirrel managed to cut off Condor's head when Condor paused to take a drink of the blood.^[50] According to the Yokut tribe, the condor sometimes ate the moon, causing the lunar cycle, and his wings caused eclipses.^[51] The Chumash tribe of Southern California believed that the condor was once a white bird, but it turned black when it flew too close to a fire.^[51] This page deals with the Wiyot people. ... The Mono are a Native American people who traditionally lived in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains (generally south of Bridgeport, California) and adjacent areas of the Great Basin. ... Genera Ammospermophilus Spermophilus Cynomys Marmota Tamias Sciurotamias The ground squirrels are all members of the Sciuridae most closely related to the genus Marmota and included in the tribe Marmotini. ... The Yokuts were an ethnic group of Native Americans that lived in California. ... This article is about astronomical eclipses. ... Rafael, a Chumash in the 1800s Pre-contact distribution of the Chumash The Chumash are a Native American people who historically inhabit mainly the southern coastal regions of California, in the vicinity of what is now San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties, extending from Morro Bay...

Condor bones have been found in Native American graves, as have condor feather headdresses. Cave paintings of condors have also been discovered.^[52] Some tribes ritually killed condors to make ceremonial clothing out of their feathers. Shamans then danced while wearing these to reach the upper and lower spiritual worlds. Whenever a shaman died, his clothes were said to be cursed,^[53] so new clothing had to be made for his successor. Some scientists, such as Noel Snyder, believe that this process of making ceremonial clothing helped contribute to the condor's decline.^[53] If so, this would be the only known species that was endangered by the California natives.^[53] Blackfoot war bonnet. ... Cave or Rock Paintings are paintings on cave or rock walls and ceilings, usually dating to prehistoric times. ... This article is about the practice of shamanism; for other uses, see Shaman (disambiguation). ...

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e BirdLife International (2007) Species factsheet: Gymnogyps californianus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 17/8/2007
^ Milestones in California Condor Conservation. The Zoological Society of San Diego's Center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species. Retrieved on 2008-03-31.
^ Nielsen 2006, p. 27
^ Liddell, Henry George and Robert Scott (1980). A Greek-English Lexicon (Abridged Edition). United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-910207-4.
^ "Raven". Oxford English Dictionary (2nd edition). (1989). Ed. J. Simpson, E. Weiner (eds). Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-861186-2.
^ ^a ^b Remsen, J. V., Jr.; C. D. Cadena; A. Jaramillo; M. Nores; J. F. Pacheco; M. B. Robbins; T. S. Schulenberg; F. G. Stiles; D. F. Stotz & K. J. Zimmer. 2007. A classification of the bird species of South America. South American Classification Committee. Retrieved on 2007-10-15
^ Sibley, Charles G. and Burt L. Monroe. 1990. Distribution and Taxonomy of the Birds of the World. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-04969-2. Accessed 2007-04-11.
^ Sibley, Charles G., and Jon E. Ahlquist. 1991. Phylogeny and Classification of Birds: A Study in Molecular Evolution. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-04085-7. Accessed 2007-04-11.
^ Ericson, Per G. P.; Anderson, Cajsa L.; Britton, Tom; Elz˙anowski, Andrzej; Johansson, Ulf S.; Kallersjö, Mari; Ohlson, Jan I.; Parsons, Thomas J.; Zuccon, Dario & Mayr, Gerald (2006): Diversification of Neoaves: integration of molecular sequence data and fossils. Biology Letters online: 1-5. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0523 PDF preprint Electronic Supplementary Material (PDF)
^ ^a ^b The Birds of North America Online: California Condor. Cornell Lab of Ornithology (2003). Retrieved on 2007-08-22.
^ Fisher, Harvey L. (1944): The skulls of the Cathartid vultures. Condor 46(6): 272–296. PDF fulltext
^ Howard, Hildegarde (1947): A preliminary survey of trends in avian evolution from Pleistocene to recent time. Condor 49(1): 10–13. PDF fulltext
^ Howard, Hildegarde (1962): Bird Remains from a Prehistoric Cave Deposit in Grant County, New Mexico. Condor 64(3): 241–242.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d All About Birds: California Condor. Cornell Lab of Ornithology (2003). Retrieved on 2007-08-22.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d California Condors Cool Facts. Ventana Wildlife Society. Retrieved on 2007-08-14.
^ Nielsen 2006, p. 1
^ Cracraft, J., F. K. Barker, M. Braun, J. Harshman, G. J. Dyke, J. Feinstein, S. Stanley, A. Cibois, P. Schikler, P. Beresford, J. García-Moreno, M. D. Sorenson, T. Yuri, and D. P. Mindell. 2004. Phylogenetic relationships among modern birds (Neornithes): toward an avian tree of life. Pp. 468–489 in Assembling the tree of life (J. Cracraft and M. J. Donoghue, eds.). Oxford University Press, New York. Accessed 2007-04-10.
^ Gibb, G. C., O. Kardailsky, R. T. Kimball, E. L. Braun, and D. Penny. 2007. Mitochondrial genomes and avian phylogeny: complex characters and resolvability without explosive radiations. Molecular Biology Evolution 24: 269–280. HTML abstract accessed 2007-04-10.
^ Gagnon, Dennis R. Hiking the Santa Barbara Backcountry. The Ward Ritchie Press, Pasadena, California, 1974. ISBN 0378-03542-8
^ BirdLife International 2006. Gymnogyps californianus. IUCN 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d California condor, (Gymnogyps californianus). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved on 2007-08-14.
^ Nielsen 2006, p. 79
^ San Diego Zoo's Animal Bytes: California Condor. Zoological Society of San Diego. Retrieved on 2007-08-14.
^ ^a ^b California Condor Behavior. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge. Retrieved on 2007-08-22.
^ ^a ^b California Condor Life History. Ventana Wildlife Society. Retrieved on 2007-08-14.
^ Nielsen 2006, p. 58
^ Nielsen 2006, p. 30
^ Nielsen 2006, p. 186
^ Miller, Loye (1960): Condor Remains from Rampart Cave, Arizona. Condor 62(1): 70 PDF fulltext
^ Miller, Loye (1931): The California Condor in Nevada. Condor 33(1): 32. PDF fulltext
^ Wetmore, Alexander (1931): The California Condor in New Mexico. Condor 33(2): 76–77. PDF fulltext
^ Wetmore, Alexander (1932): Additional Records of Birds from Cavern Deposits in New Mexico. Condor 34(3): 141–142. PDF fulltext
^ Wetmore, Alexander & Friedmann, Herbert (1938): The California Condor in Texas. Condor 35(1): 37–38 PDF fulltext
^ Nielsen 2006, p. 83
^ Kiff, L. F.; Peakall, D. B. & Wilbur, S. R. (1979): Recent Changes in California Condor Eggshells. Condor 81(2): 166–172. PDF fulltext
^ Nielsen 2006, p. 88
^ ^a ^b Brad Sheppard. Condors. Sheppard Software. Retrieved on 2007-08-27.
^ Nielsen 2006, p. 13
^ Nielsen 2006, p. 24
^ California Condor Recovery Program. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge (December 2006). Retrieved on 2007-09-13.
^ Thacker, Paul D. (2006): Condors are shot full of lead. Environmental Science & Technology 40(19): 5826. HTML fulltext
^ Schwarzenegger gets the lead out. BirdLife International (2007-10-16). Retrieved on 2007-10-16.
^ Nielsen 2006, p. 7
^ Frequently Asked Questions. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge. Retrieved on 2007-08-23.
^ Fresh Hope For Condors. Sky News (March 30, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-08-14.
^ Thomas Watkins. "California Condor lays egg in Mexico", USA Today, 2007-04-03. Retrieved on 2007-08-14.
^ Milestones in California Condor Conservation. The Zoological Society of San Diego's center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species. Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
^ Nielsen 2006, p. 39
^ Nielsen 2006, p. 37
^ Nielsen 2006, p. 38
^ ^a ^b Nielsen 2006, p. 40
^ Nielsen 2006, p. 36
^ ^a ^b ^c Nielsen 2006, p. 41

2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Henry George Liddell (1811‑1898)was a British historian and academic, editor at Charterhouse and Christ Church, Oxford, of which in 1855 he became Dean. ... Robert Scott (January 26, 1811 - December 2, 1877) was a 19th-century British academic philologist and a Fellow (later Master) of Balliol College, Oxford University. ... A Greek-English Lexicon is the standard lexicographical work of the ancient Greek language, begun in the nineteenth century and now in its ninth (revised) edition. ... Oxford University Press (OUP) is a highly-respected publishing house and a department of the University of Oxford in England. ... is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Charles Sibley (August 7, 1917 - April 12, 1998) was an American ornithologist and molecular biologist. ... Charles Sibley (August 7, 1917 - April 12, 1998) was an American ornithologist and molecular biologist. ... Jon Edward Ahlquist specialized in molecular phylogenetics and ornithology, collaborating extensively with Charles Sibley, primarily at Yale University. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Condor is the quarterly journal of the Cooper Ornithological Society. ... The Condor is the quarterly journal of the Cooper Ornithological Society. ... The Condor is the quarterly journal of the Cooper Ornithological Society. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 226th day of the year (227th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 226th day of the year (227th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 226th day of the year (227th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 226th day of the year (227th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Condor is the quarterly journal of the Cooper Ornithological Society. ... The Condor is the quarterly journal of the Cooper Ornithological Society. ... The Condor is the quarterly journal of the Cooper Ornithological Society. ... The Condor is the quarterly journal of the Cooper Ornithological Society. ... The Condor is the quarterly journal of the Cooper Ornithological Society. ... The Condor is the quarterly journal of the Cooper Ornithological Society. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... {| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 89th day of the year (90th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 226th day of the year (227th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 226th day of the year (227th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Cited texts

BirdLife International (2006). Gymnogyps californianus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 4 September 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is critically endangered.
Lesson, René-Primevère (1842). L'Echo du monde savant. [Description of genus Gymnogyps]. ser. 2 6(44): col.1037
Nielsen, John (2006). Condor: To the Brink and Back—The Life and Times of One Giant Bird. New York: Harper Perennial. ISBN 978-0060088620.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ...

Contents

Taxonomy

Evolutionary history

Description

Distribution and habitat

Ecology and behavior

Diet

Reproduction

Conservation

Relationship with humans

References

Cited texts

External links

Contents

Taxonomy GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Evolutionary history

Description

Distribution and habitat

Ecology and behavior

Diet

Reproduction

Conservation

Relationship with humans

References

Cited texts

External links

Taxonomy