The Largest Bird On Earth

The Largest Bird On Earth

1. There are two species Andean Condor, California Condor. The Andean Condor is a little bit smaller than the California Condor.

2. The Andean condor is 3.25-4.25 ft. long with a wingspan up to 11 ft. The male weighs 24-33 lbs.,  the female 17-24 lbs. The Andean Condor is the only American vulture to show sexual dimorphism (visible physical differences between sexes.) Males are usually larger and have a distinctive comb on top of their head called a caruncle, as well as a large neck wattle and yellow eyes. Females lack the comb and have red eyes. Both sexes have a white collar, though the female’s collar is smaller. The oldest Andean condor in captivity lived to be 80 years old, though the average life span in captivity is about 65 years.

3. These birds have bald grayish-red heads, and the males have a fleshy lump at the front of their heads called a caruncle. Their beaks are large and hooked, and they have large feet with sharp claws, allowing them to easily tear apart their meals.

Condor caruncle

4. Unlike many other birds, the condor doesn't build nests, but lays its eggs only once every two years among boulders or in caves or holes. These places are typically harder for other predators to reach and offer their eggs and chicks more safety.

5. The Andean condor is the national animal of Colombia and one of the largest birds of prey in the world, weighing as much as 20 to 25 pounds.

6. The Andes Mountains from southern Chile and Argentina to Venezuela. It is most often seen in Peru, Chile, and Argentina.

7. One of the largest flying birds in the world, the Andean Condor relies on wind rising up the sides of mountains to take off.  It can then glide for hundreds of miles while riding on air currents, or thermals.

8. The white ruff that encircles its lower neck denotes this bird.  Its body is generally glossy black with white bands on the dorsal portions of its wings. 

9. During courtship the males reddish neck will become bright yellow and both parents will participate in incubation for 54-58 days. The young will then be cared for well into their second year. Therefore, a Condor is born only every other year.

10. The Andean Condor is the official bird of many South American countries.  Vultures and Condors are descended from ancestors who were also predators at one time, and at some stage in their evolution, they gave up the ability to kill.  To adapt to become scavengers, they had to become highly efficient soaring fliers.  Only in  this way can they travel the enormous distance necessary to find food while using very little energy.

11. The Andean condor is the largest bird on earth with a wingspan of over 10 ft., exceeded only by the Albatross. 

12. They have been recorded soaring at over 19,000 ft.

13. Don’t have vocal cords so they force air through their body to make large grunting noises.

14. The chick has all its feathers by 6 months and can fly. Both parents are responsible for care of the chick for more than a year. Breeding begins at 5-8 years old. 

15. The Andean condor eats carrion of large and medium sized mammals, and also shorebird eggs. Andean condors are scavengers and eat mainly carrion, or dead or decaying fesh. Their excellent eyesight allows them to seek out dead or dying animals while hovering high in the sky. They use their sharp, curved beaks and claws to remove meat from carcasses or weak animals. To clean their bald heads after a meal, they scrape them along the ground to remove any food scraps.

16. Its featherless head is easier to clean after eating. 

17. Due to its extreme weight, the condor requires large wings and thermal currents to soar.  

18. After a meal, it spreads out its wings to absorb heat, taking a “bath” in the sun’s ultraviolet rays to kill bacteria on its feathers. It urinates on its legs as a way to generate evaporative cooling during hot temperatures. 

19. The Andean condor eats dead and decaying animals, recycling and removing potential sources of disease. Increased human population has decreased its habitat and prey base. 

20. The Andean condor can soar as high as 18,000 ft. above sea level-more than 3 miles! 

21. After it eats, the condor rubs its head and neck back and forth across the ground to clean off the remains of its meal.

22. The condor is seen by native villagers as a symbol of power and health, and it is believed that its bones and organs have healing powers and give men high virility.