(no offense to Coffee Coyote :hi: )
The California condor is the largest land bird in North America. Adult condors have a wingspan of approximately 9.5 feet, weigh about 22 pounds, and stand between 45 and 55 inches tall.
Condors are scavengers. They feed only on animal carcasses and do not kill live prey. After eating, they clean their head and neck by bathing in water or by rubbing against grass, rocks, or tree branches. Their beaks are long, sharp, and powerful. They have good hearing and keen eyesight.
In their search for food, condors have been known to fly up to 150 miles in a day. They can soar on thermals at altitudes of 15,000 feet, though normally soar much lower.
While historically California condors ranged throughout the southern United States, by the 1940s they were found only on the West Coast, primarily in the coastal mountains of southern California. As they began to approach extinction they were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in March of 1967.
One of the main causes of the condors’ demise was their consuming and digesting lead bullets used to kill the animals on whose remains they feed. Condors have strong digestive systems and are able to break down bullet fragments. They can succumb to lead poisoning. Others have died from collisions with or electrocution by power lines.
Happily, today, California condors are being reintroduced into the coastal mountains near Santa Barbara and in central California.
(from
http://www.terrafocus.org/pages.cfm?pageID=27)