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Condor
is the name for two species of bird in one of the vulture
families. They are the largest flying land birds in the
Western Hemisphere. The South American Condor (Vultur
gryphus) inhabits the Andes mountains. The California
Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) inhabits the western
coast of the United States. Although they are primarily
scavengers, feeding on carrion, these species belong 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. Condors usually measure about 1.2 m (4 feet) from
the point of the beak to the extremity of the tail and
3 m (10 feet) between the tips of its wings, and can weigh
over 13 kilograms (30 pounds). Although other birds may
have larger wingspan, the wing chord of the condor (distance
from leading to trailing edge of wing) is exceptionally
large, resulting in a very large total wing area, an adaptation
for soaring. |
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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 no 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, which is much flattened
above, is in the male crowned with a caruncle or comb,
while the skin of the neck in the male lies in folds,
forming a wattle. |
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