"A holdover from prehistoric times, the great condor is one of our largest and most magnificent birds -- and one of the rarest. Soaring over wilderness crags, feeding on carcasses of large dead animals, reproducing very slowly, it was not well suited to survival in modern-day southern California. Headed toward extinction in the 1980s, the last birds were brought in from the wild in 1987, to be bred in captivity for eventual release into the wild again. The captive breeding program turned out to be surprisingly successful, and flocks of released condors are surviving in several areas of California and in the region of the Grand Canyon."
Quebracho and Condor Natural Reserve in the Cordillera de Laderas was created on Aug. 24 this year in response to the poisoning deaths of 34 Andean condors two years earlier.
The community of Ladera Norte pushed for their entire territory of nearly 3,300 hectares (8,150 acres) to be designated as a nature reserve, citing the importance of the condor as the national bird.
The reserve also protects the white quebracho, a tree species native to this region of Bolivia, which is threatened by the loss and fragmentation of habitat.
Cool Facts- Combining their weight and wingspan, the Andean condor is the world’s largest flying bird. Eating almost exclusively carrion, their stomach acid is strong enough to dissolve bones and diseases alike. Due to their massive size, these condors have a difficult time getting off the ground. Using strong winds, they launch themselves into the air and glide on currents. Using their 3 meter long wings, Andean condors only have to flap their wings once every half hour to stay aloft. Adult Andean condors are almost always found as a pair with their lifelong mate, laying only one egg every few years. In 1970, the Andean condor was placed into a breeding program due to poisoning and persecution by farmers. Almost 10 years before the reintroduction of the California condor, the Andean condor spread their wings and were brought back into the native habitat where they still fly strong.
Rating- 13/10 (I have a soft spot for vultures of all kinds.)
give me whatever you got abt carrion eaters. anything. i just really really really fucking love those guys i want to know anything and everything abt them.
YEAHHH me too :]]] okay so
first of all heres prince charmin for you :>
second of all- carrion eaters are EXCEEDINGLY smart. they will often also eat insects in addition to raw meat!! because sometimes theyll go after maggot-filled carcasses, they just end up eating some types of meat eating bugs - for example prince loves mealworms as a treat!
unlike snakes, who can also go a very long time without eating- most carrion eaters are SEVERELY food motivated. prince'll follow me around if he sees that i have chicks for him in my apron, and will go after the ones on his stump the second i leave.
many carrion eaters love to bask in the sun!! like in those photos, he's spreading his wings and soaking up sun, which i believe in a thermoregulation tactic? and also to dry themselves!
because im in cali, we mostly get only turkey vultures and california condors. they are the solitary extant species in the genus Gymnogyps, though there are some extinct ones we know of . condors are So critically endangered currently, due to them going extinct in the wild in 1987 BUT the re introduction of them to the wild is working!!! in 2022 the estimation was 561-558 in the wild which is a HUGE different from the 27 in captivity . the oakland zoo also helps ones that come under with lead poisoning! golden eagles, lead poisoning, and power linez were the biggest threat BUT all captive condors have been taught to avoid power lines which i think is super cool !!! :]
Went up 13,000 ft to Antisana volcano looking for Andean condors. There are fewer than 100 left in Ecuador, and we were absurdly lucky and saw at least 25% of them! At one point there were at least 11 of them feeding on a dead cow. What an incredible privilege to be able to see the largest bird of prey in the world in its native habitat.
Been a bit extra depressed lately since I took down my bird feeder because the bird flu outbreak. My house seems kinda lonely without constant loud chirping and a host of little birds hanging out on the fence outside my window.
Then, yesterday i remembered nest cams are a thing and it IS the season.