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See also: American See also: vulture, and almost the largest of existing birds of See also: flight, although by no means attaining the dimensions attributed to it by early writers
.
It usually See also: measures about 4 ft. from the point of the beak to the extremity of the tail, and 9 ft. between the tips of its wings, while it is probable that the expanse of wing never exceeds 12 ft
.
The See also: head and neck are destitute of feathers, and the former, which is much flattened above, is in the male crowned with a caruncle or comb, while the skin of the latter in. the same sex lies in folds, forming a wattle
.
The adult plumage is of a See also: uniform black, with the exception of a frill of See also: white feathers nearly surrounding the
See also: base of the neck, and certain wing feathers which, especially in the male, have large patches of white
.
The See also: middle toe is greatly elongated, and the hinder one but slightly See also: developed, while the talons of all the toes are comparatively straight and blunt, and are thus of little use as See also: organs of prehension
.
The See also: female, contrary to the usual See also: rule among birds of prey, is smaller than the male
.
The See also: condor is a native of See also: South See also: America, where it, is confined to the region of the See also: Andes, from the Straits of See also: Magellan to 40 See also: north latitude, the largest examples, it is said, being found about the See also: volcano of Cayambi, situated on the equator
.
It is often seen on the shores of the Pacific, especially during the See also: rainy season, but its favourite haunts for roosting and breeding are at elevations of 10,000 to 16,000 ft
..
There, during the months of See also: February and See also: March, on inaccessible ledges of
See also: rock, it deposits two white eggs, from 3 to 4 in. in length, its See also: nest consisting merely of a few sticks placed around the eggs: The See also: period of See also: incubation lasts for seven See also: weeks, and the See also: young are covered with a whitish down until almost as large as their parents
.
They are unable to fly till. nearly two years old, and continue for a considerable See also: time after taking wing to roost and See also: hunt with their parents
.
The white See also: ruff on the neck, and the similarly coloured feathers of the wing, do not appear until the completion of the first moulting
.
By preference the condor feeds on carrion, but it does not hesitate to attack See also: sheep, goats and See also: deer, and for this reason it is hunted down by the shepherds, who, it is said, train their See also: dogs to look up and bark at'the condors as they fly overhead
.
They are exceedingly voracious, a single condor of moderate See also: size having been known, according to See also: Orton, to devour a See also: calf, a sheep and a See also: dog in a single week
.
When thus .gorged with See also: food, they are exceedingly stupid, and may then be readily caught
.
For this purpose a See also: horse or muleis killed, and the carcase surrounded with palisades to which the condors are soon attracted by the prospect of food, for the See also: weight of evidence seems to favour the opinion that those vultures owe their knowledge of the presence of carrion more to sight than to See also: scent
.
Having feasted themselves to excess, they are set upon by the hunters with sticks, and being unable, owing to the want of space within the See also: pen, to take the run without which they are unable to rise on wing, they are readily killed or captured
.
They sleep during the greater See also: part of the See also: day, searching for food in the clearer See also: light of See also: morning and evening
.
They are remarkably heavy sleepers, and are readily captured by the inhabitants ascending the trees on which they roost, and noosing them before they awaken
.
See also: Great numbers of condors are thus taken alive, and these, in certain districts, are employed in a variety of bull-fighting
.
They are exceedingly tenacious of See also: life, and can exist, it is said, without food for over See also: forty days
.
Although the favourite haunts of the condor are at the level of perpetual snow, yet it rises to a much greater height,
.
Humboldt having observed it flying over Chimborazo at a height of over 23,000 ft
.
On wing the movements of the condor, as it wheels in majestic circles, are remarkably graceful
.
The birds flap their wings on rising from the ground, but after attaining a moderate See also: elevation they seem to See also: sail on the air, See also: Charles Darwin having watched them for
See also: half an See also: hour without once observing a flap of their wings
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This article must be rewritten by a naturalist. The California condor [Gymnogyps californianus] is the largest soaring avi-fauna in North America. The condor is a carrion-feeding bird. It does not attack its prey. The Latin name Cathartidae refers to a large family of avi-fauna that includes all New World vultures [including condors]. Sarcorhampus refers soley to the King Vulture, found only in South America.
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