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Cruz del Condor
Condor en vol le matin près de Cabanaconde
au Perou à la croix du condor
The Andean Condor, Vultur gryphus, is a
species of bird in one of the vulture
families. It is in many regards the largest
flying land bird in the Western Hemisphere
and is the heaviest, but not the lengthiest,
member of the order Ciconiiformes.
This condor inhabits the Andes mountains.
Although it is primarily a scavenger, feeding
on carrion, this species belongs to the New
World vulture family Cathartidae, related to
storks and not closely related to Old World
vultures, which are in the family
Accipitridae along with hawks, eagles and
kites.
Although about 5 cm shorter (beak to tail) on
average than the California Condor, the
Andean Condor is undoubtedly larger in
wingspan: Ferguson-Lees gives 274--310 cm
(108--122 in). It is also heavier: up to
11--15 kg (24--33 lb) for males and 7.5--11
kg (16--24 lb) for females. Measurements are
usually taken from specimens reared in
captivity.
The adult plumage is of a uniform black, with
the exception of a frill of white feathers
nearly surrounding the base of the neck and,
especially in the male, large patches or
bands of white on the wings which do not
appear until the completion of the first
moulting. As an adaptation for hygiene, the
head and neck have few feathers, exposing the
skin to the sterilizing effects of
dehydration and ultraviolet light at high
altitudes, and are meticulously kept clean by
the bird. The head is much flattened above.
In the male it is crowned with a caruncle or
comb, while the skin of the neck in the male
lies in folds, forming a wattle. The skin of
the head and neck is capable of flushing
noticeably in response to emotional state,
which serves to communicate between
individuals.
The middle toe is greatly elongated, and the
hinder one but slightly developed, while the
talons of all the toes are comparatively
straight and blunt. The feet are thus more
adapted to walking as in their relatives the
storks, and of little use as weapons or
organs of prehension as in birds of prey and
Old World vultures. The female, contrary to
the usual rule among birds of prey, is
smaller than the male.
Sexual maturity and breeding behavior do not
appear in the condor until 5 or 6 years of
age. They may live for 50 years or more, and
mate for life. The Andean condor prefers
roosting and breeding at elevations of 3,000
to 5,000 m (10,000--16,000 ft). There on
inaccessible ledges of rock, its nest
consisting merely of a few sticks placed
around the eggs, it deposits one or two
bluish-white eggs, weighing about 10 ounces
(280 g) and from 3 to 4 inches (75 to 100 mm)
in length, during the months of February and
March every second year. The egg hatches
after 54--58 days of incubation by both
parents. If the chick or egg is lost or
removed, another egg is laid to take its
place. Researchers and breeders take
advantage of this behavior to double the
reproductive rate by taking the first egg
away for hand-rearing, causing the parents to
lay a second egg which they are generally
allowed to raise.
The young are covered with a grayish down
until almost as large as their parents. They
are able to fly after six months, but
continue to roost and hunt with their parents
until age two, when they are displaced by a
new clutch. There is a well developed social
structure within large groups of condors,
with competition to determine a 'pecking
order' by body language, competitive play
behavior, and a wide variety of
vocalizations, even though the condor has no
voice box.
On wing the movements of the condor, as it
wheels in majestic circles, are remarkably
graceful. The lack of a large sternum to
anchor correspondingly large flight muscles
identifies them physiologically as primarily
soarers. The birds flap their wings on rising
from the ground, but after attaining a
moderate elevation they seem to sail on the
air. Charles Darwin commented on having
watched them for half an hour without once
observing a flap of their wings. They prefer
to roost on high places from where they can
launch without major wing-flapping effort.
Oftentimes, these birds are seen soaring near
rock cliffs, using the heat thermals to aid
them with rising in the air.
Wild condors inhabit large territories, often
traveling 250 km (150 miles) a day in search
of carrion. They prefer large carcasses such
as deer or cattle which they spot by looking
for other scavengers, who cannot rip through
the tougher hides of these larger animals
with the efficiency of the larger condor. In
the wild they are intermittent eaters, often
going for a few days without eating, then
gorging themselves on several pounds at once,
sometimes to the point of being unable to
lift off the ground.
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Tags : Peru Perou ペルー 秘鲁 بيرو 페루 पेरू Condor Kondor コンドル 콘도르 |
