The California condor is a vulture and is North America?s largest bird. The remaining wild individuals were captured and became extinct in the wild in the year 1987, but have since been reintroduced in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona including Zion National Park, the region of the Grand Canyon, Coastal Mountains of California, and Baja California. The other four fossil members are known, but they are the only surviving members of the genus Gymnogyps. This species has been described as critically endangered by IUCN.
Highlights
The California condor is the only surviving member of the genus Gymnogyps. It is black in colour and has white spots on the underside of its wings. Most of the bird’s heads are bald. Its wingspan is 3 meters. The California condor has the longest wingspan of any North American bird and weighs up to 12kgs thus making it North America?s heaviest bird. This bird is a scavenger and eats large amounts of carrion which is decaying flesh animals and humans. The California condor has a lifespan of 60 years making it one of the longest living birds. Syringeal (a vocal organ at the base of trachea) vocalization is not present in the bird. They can only make hissing sounds and thus the sounds can be heard only when the bird is close to a person.
Habitat of California condor
California Condors inhabit coniferous forests, rocky shrub lands and oak savanna. They are often found near large trees and cliffs that are used by them nesting sites. Individual birds are known to travel up to 250 km searching for carrion.
There are two sanctuaries chosen as the main condor habitats, Sespe Condor Sanctuary in the Los Padres National Forest and the Sisquoc Condor Sanctuary in the San Rafael Wildernessand.
Urohidrosis is performed by the California condor to lower their body temperature. It is a habit of some birds. They defecate on their legs and this acts as a cooling mechanism.
Breeding of California condor
At the age of six, condor reaches maturity. To attract partners, the male Condor will demonstrate a red-headed and inflated feather. When the female condor accepts, she bows her head. After that, they become life partners. Females lay eggs every two years.
Threats and Conservation
The number of condors declined in the 20th century. Their population has declined primarily due to habitat degradation, poaching, and pesticides (especially DDT). In the year 1987, there were only 27 birds left on the planet. At San Diego Wild Animal Park they were bred by the usage of captive breeding. In the year 1991 they were returned to the wild. As of the year 2019, there are 518 wild condors.
IUCN lists the California condor as a species which is critically endangered. The California Condor Conservation Project is one of the most expensive conservation projects in the history of the US and costs more than $ 35 million.
