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The California Condor. By: Aidan Short. Classification. Scientific Name : Gymnogyps Californianus. Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Aves Order : Falconiformes. Family : Cathartidae Genus : Gymnogyps Species : Californianus. It’s closest relative is the Andean Condor. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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The California Condor
By: Aidan Short
Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Cathartidae
Genus: Gymnogyps
Species: Californianus
Scientific Name: Gymnogyps Californianus
It’s closest relative is the Andean Condor
-It is slightly smaller than the California Condor in length, but it has a slightly larger wingspan.
-They are similar in appearance.
Physical Characteristics
- Largest flying bird in America.
- 3.5-4.5 feet long.
- Weighs 18-25 pounds
- Wingspan of 9-10 feet
- Males and females look exactly
alike.
- Adults have a red and
orange and completely
bald head.
- Juveniles have a grayish-
black head that is bald as
well.
- The heads change to the
color of an adult at 4-6
years of age.
- The heads are bald for
eating dead animals.
- The beaks are long and
sharp
Head
- Feathers are
mostly black with a
white lining under
the wing.
- Juveniles have
black plumage but
with very little
white.
Pelage
- At one time it used
to roam across
North America.
- Climate change
forced it to just the
west coast.
Historic Range
Current Distribution- California
Condors are
mainly in
Southern
and Central
California.
- They are
being
reintroduced
in the areas
shown on
the map
Habitat
- They have a different habitat
for each of their three primary
needs: Scavenging, Roosting,
and nesting.
Scavenging
- They like oak savanna
and open grasslands
with lots of large
mammals.
Roosting
- They roost in
dead trees and
cliffs.
- They come back
to the same place
year after year.
Nesting
- They don’t make
stick nests.
- They nest in caves,
cliffs, and crevices.
- They lay their eggs
there.
Conservation Status
- It is critically endangered.
- Its population is
increasing.
- Its population was down to
just 22 birds in 1981.
- Captive breeding
programs brought up the
population and they are
being released back into
the wild.
- There are currently about
210 in the wild.
Mating
- The male spreads
his wings and rocks
back and forth.
- They follow each
other in acrobatic
flights.
- They stay together
for life
Reproduction
- They reach maturity at 4-6 years.
- The female lays one egg every other year.
- The egg is usually laid between January and March
- The egg is a pale green color.
Parental Care
- The parents take turns
incubating for 54-58 days before
it hatches.
- The chick is fed regurgitated
food by both parents.
- After about 5 months, the chick
will start to walk from the nest.
- The chick will start to fly from
the nest at 10-12 months.
- It relies on its parents into its
second year.
Longevity and Mortality
- They live about 45 years in captivity, and 20
in the wild.
- Lead poisoning, egg collecting, shooting,
and power lines are the main causes of the
death of California Condors.
Seasonal Patterns
- They do not hibernate or undergo torpor.
- They don’t migrate; they stay in the same
regions year round.
Diet
- They are carrion eaters.
- They like cattle carcasses and other dead
large mammals.
- They can travel up to 150 miles in a day
searching for food.
Predators
- Mainly humans but some birds, such as ravens, steal
the eggs from their nests.
- Poaching, power lines, and lead poisoning almost
wiped out the California Condor.
- Lead poisoning is still a problem today to the
released birds.
Human Relationships
- They were taken into captivity
for a breeding program.
- Humans helped to bring the
population up.
- They are still being released
into the wild.
- They are kept in zoo’s.
Fun Facts
- California Condors don’t have vocal cords so they
hiss, grunt, growl, and use body language to
communicate.
- Native Americans called it the Thunderbird because
of its huge wings.
- Babies can take up to a weak to break out of their
shells.
- They can fly up to altitudes of 15,000 feet and reach
speeds of 60mph.
Works CitedIUCN Red List of Threatened Species. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. <http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/summary/106003821/0>.
San Diego Zoo Global. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2013.
<http://library.sandiegozoo.org/factsheets/california_condor/condor.htm#Physical%20Characteristics>.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.fws.gov/hoppermountain/CACORecoveryProgram/PDF%20Fact%20Sheets/Biology%20of
%20the%20California%20Condor.pdf>.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. <
http://www.fws.gov/hoppermountain/CACORecoveryProgram/PDF%20Fact%20Sheets/CALIFORNIA
%2
0CONDOR%20flyer-%20with%20long%20links.pdf>.
The Peregrine Fund. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2013. <http://www.peregrinefund.org/subsites/explore-
raptors-2001/vultures/cacondor.html>.