The California Condor, "The Big Ugly"

By Mary Jo Nickum

The California condor, Gymnogyps californianus, is one of the largest flying birds in the world. When it soars, the wings spread more than nine feet from tip to tip. Condors may weigh more than 20 pounds. The male Andean condor of South America is even larger than our California condor. Both are endangered species. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aquitaine Ltd
• Release date: Jan 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9780998085890

Mary Jo Nickum

Mary Jo Nickum is a retired librarian, teacher, writer and editor. She is also a biologist, specializing in fish and other aquatic as well as terrestrial life. She enjoys writing about biological subjects for kids. Visit her website www.asktheanimallady.com for more about animals.

Book preview

The California Condor

The Big Ugly

MARY JO NICKUM

shutterstock_144515273

Aquitaine Ltd

Phoenix, Arizona

Copyright © 2020 Mary Jo Nickum

Printed in the United States of America

All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.

Reviewers may quote passages for use in periodicals, newspapers, or broadcasts provided credit is given to The California Condor, The Big Ugly by Mary Jo Nickum and Aquitaine, Ltd.

Aquitaine, LTD

Library of Congress Cataloging Number LCCN: 2020950683

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to young people everywhere who

Don’t like to or find it difficult to read and

Who, therefore, live on the fringes of a happy, healthy life.

Learn to enjoy reading and the world can be yours.

Believe in yourselves

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 What is a California Condor?

Chapter 2 History of the California Condor

Chapter 3 California Condor Diet

Chapter 4 Reproduction

Chapter 5 Habitat

Chapter 6 Threats

Chapter 7 Recovery

Chapter 8 Future of the Condor

Glossary

Side Bars

List of Illustrations

Illustration Credits

Sources

About the Author

Fig 1. California Condor

Chapter 1

What is a California Condor?

The California condor, Gymnogyps californianus (Figure 1), is one of the largest flying birds in the world. When it soars, the wings spread more than nine feet from tip to tip. Condors may weigh more than 20 pounds. The male Andean condor of South America is even larger than our California condor. Both are endangered species.

The adult California condor is a uniform black with the exception of large triangular patches or bands of white on the underside of the wings (Figure 2). It has gray legs and feet, an ivory-colored bill, a frill of black feathers surrounding the base of the neck, and brownish red eyes. The juvenile is mostly a mottled dark brown with blackish coloration on the head. It has mottled gray instead of white on the underside of its flight feathers.

Fig 2. White beneath wing

There are few feathers on the head and neck of the condor (Figure 3) and the skin of the head and neck is capable of flushing noticeably in response to emotional state, a capability that can serve as communication between individuals. The skin color varies from yellowish to a glowing reddish-orange. The birds do not have true syringeal vocalizations. They can make a few hissing or grunting sounds only heard when very close.

Fig 3. Head and neck