Dorothy

Dorothy was hatched at the World Bird Sanctuary. Her parents, Gryph and Laurel, were on loan to us from the Cincinnati Zoo as part of the Andean Condor Species Survival Program. While they were in our care Gryph and Laurel produced eggs, and in 2004 & 2005 two of those babies were released back into the wild to soar the canyons of their native Columbia, along with babies from other participating zoos. At this point we believe that Dorothy will remain with us as an educational bird. She is still a baby, but has been responding well to target training techniques. We are hoping that she will prove to be an ambassador for her species in educational programs that will spread the word about the threats to this magnificent species' survival. Your adoption will help feed, house and care for Dorothy.

 

Adoption Fee $150
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Andean Condor

Vultur gryphus

Description largest of the vultures; black overall with gray on the wings; white downy ruff around the neck and a wattled head; male's head has a large, fleshy caruncle which is lacking on the female;
Sex female slighly smaller than male
Age 50 years
Length 43-51" body length; stands 4' tall
Wingspan 10-14'
Weight 20-30 lbs.
Habitat open grasslands and alpine areas in high mountain regions; will go to lowland deserts and coastlines to forage, but rarely visit forested areas
Status endangered; due to illegal shooting, habitat disturbance, secondary lead poisoning; current captive breeding and reintroduction programs appear to be successful; some of the released birds are reported to be breeding in the wild
Range entire length of the Andes Mountains, including the nearby Pacific coastline
Behavior the courtship display consists of the male drawing himself erect, fully extending is wings, and clicking his tongue while his reddish neck becomes bright yellow; they lay their single egg on bare ground in caves and on ledges among steep cliffs; mating occurs every other year during July; incubation is 54-58 days; fledging takes another 180 days; both parents care for young; young leave parents in second year; young birds become sexually mature at 6 or more years
Diet carrion, newborn animals, and seabird eggs when available
Vocalization generally silent; only vocalization is a low wheezing or grunting
Other Information - The World Bird Sanctuary's breeding pair of Andean Condors, which are on loan to us from the Cincinnati Zoo, have successfully reared chicks, which have been released in their native mountains of Columbia, South America - The downy white ruff around the neck can be used as a sort of hood to keep the bare head warm in cold mountain climates. The bird simply tucks its head and raises the neck hackles.