Well is not a book but is a very good site for birds (I suggest a visit), which appears below.
Huge. Is approximately 120 cm. and up to 3.35 m. major. An adult weighs about 18 kg Gender slightly different but easily identifiable.
Possible confusion: From far and in flight, with Jotes. Plan long and hardly flutters when it does not exceed the horizontal. A large distances, this feature allowed differentiation of Jotes.
Attitudes: Plan long with wings spread horizontally. Little flutters.
Ecology: comes to live more than 70 years. It nests in crevices or caves in vertical walls.
is curious, especially in his youth. Juveniles live many years with their parents. It is common to see planning in family groups. Walk the valleys in search of food, planning to high altitudes and usually two or more members of the family. These might do traveled 200 km in one day (1).
's scavenger hunt not for food. Previously dead meat consumed, often in an advanced state of decomposition, for which he has a neck completely devoid of feathers. You can introduce it into the animal's body that is consuming without the risk of leftover meat from sticking to the feathers and cause infections. The Condors and Jotes share this characteristic with the old world vultures, very similar in appearance but are not relatives. (Convergent evolution).
Food: Carrion .
Habitat: Air . Almost exclusively Cordillera. Mountain steppes.
Distribution: Essentially Andino, is distributed to the southern tip of Argentina in Colombia and Venezuela, through the mountains. While many have become extinct in environments and in some countries, in Argentina has a relatively healthy population . In addition to the Andes, is found in southwestern and northeastern Córdoba San Luis. Can eventually reach the Atlantic coast of Patagonia.
Argentina. Bolivia. Chile.
Conservation Status: This species is at risk of extinction, including Red List of Birds BirdLife International, is considered in the category NT (Near Threatened). Included in Appendix I of CITES.
Availability - Argentina All anions.
(1) Sergio Lambertucci, com. pers.
Thanks to: Sergio Lambertucci, Ricardo Moller Jensen, Felix Vidoz, Patrick Wallace.
Mariano Costa
http://www.freebirds.com.ar/148.htm Taken
