condor : Photos, Diagrams & Topos : SummitPost

Comments

hiltrud.liu - Nov 1, 2006 11:25 pm - Voted 10/10

Incredible!

Very impressive.
Hiltrud

eric b - Nov 1, 2006 11:38 pm - Voted 10/10

that a bird

sweet backdrop, take the ordinary to extra-ordinary- nice job.

Deb - Dec 8, 2006 9:41 pm - Voted 10/10

Two votes!

Can I vote twice on this pic? Absolutely beautiful! Such a majestic bird with striking background. Bravo!

Bob Sihler - Jan 6, 2007 6:05 pm - Voted 10/10

Condor

As others have said, awesome shot. I photographed one out there, too, but it was on a rail and a number band was on it. This, just in case you're not aware, is a California Condor, a species that dropped at one time to just two birds in the wild. A reintroduction program around the Grand Canyon and the Kaibab Plateau in the late 90s brought these birds back to the wild. So this is more than just a condor-- it's one of this country's rarest birds and its largest raptor. Treasure this picture; it's not easy to come by.

Day Hiker - Feb 17, 2007 10:39 am - Voted 10/10

Re: Condor

Largest bird in the U.S., maybe, but a condor is definitely not a raptor. Condors do not hunt/kill prey; they are carrion eaters.

The story of the California condor's recovery is an amazing one, yes.

One of the many reasons for their decline was that ranchers were killing them. They sometimes blamed the birds for the death of their livestock after seeing them feeding on the dead animal, clueless that the condor was not responsible for the kill.

Bob Sihler - Feb 17, 2007 1:34 pm - Voted 10/10

Re: Condor

Thanks for the correction. I should have known better. I did know they were scavengers, but I guess I was lumping those with actual birds of prey.

I have a lot of respect for the ranching way of life and have a limited tolerance for the subsidies that keep some of those guys afloat-- a nod to tradition and a way to keep developers at bay-- but the ignorance which they sometimes show is amazing. I mean, who doesn't know that vultures and condors don't eat carrion?

venus - Jan 26, 2007 7:21 am - Voted 10/10

Lucky you

Really rare moment.

madeintahoe - Feb 16, 2007 4:31 pm - Voted 10/10

So Special

Beautiful amazing Condor! I would love to one day see one :) How very lucky you were to see! I love his black color againest the red desert sand. They are such special Birds!
Thank you :)