Size, Body Covering and Characteristics
Adapting to the environment About the enclosure Wild vs captivity |
The Andean Condor has an absolutely huge wingspan of 3 metres and are 1.2 metres tall. They are covered in huge black feathers except for the neck and head. The Andean condor has the largest wing span of any bird. There are at least 10,000 Andean Condors in the wild, so it is a near-threatened species.
The head and necks' few feathers are kept very clean by the bird, and their baldness is an adaptation for hygiene, allowing the skin to be exposed to the sterilising effects of dehydration and ultraviolet light at high altitudes. Another adaptation is the feet. The middle toe is more elongated, making the foot more useful for walking on rather then used as a weapon. The enclosure of the Andean Condor at Taronga Zoo is a tall place. It has lots of trees for the birds to perch and sleep on and also has lots of grass. This replicates the trees they rest on in the wild. Although, they sometimes live on mountains and sadly for the condors, there are no mountains in the enclosure. Andean Condors usually live in mountains and there are no mountains in the enclosure, so it doesn't replicate the habitat in that way, but there are lots of trees, so it makes the condors feel at home in that sense. In the wild, they find their own food to eat, but in the enclosure, they are given food to eat. |