This little plush California Condor is
made by Wild Republic and is part of their Audubon Bird series.
Of all the birds of prey in North America, 
the
California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is the largest with
a wingspan of more than 9 feet. They may weigh up to 25 pounds.
This 50-inch-long bird is black with a bald pinkish head and
white wing linings (noticeable only in flight).
In the wild they lay 1 white egg every
other year, usually in an inaccessible area on a cliffside cleft
or cave. They prefer mountainous areas with nearby open brush
country. The fledgling remains dependent upon its parents through
the next breeding season. If a Condor pair lose an egg, they
will lay a second or even a third one. Condors do not reach the
age of breeding maturity until they are about 7 years old.
Soaring on warm thermal updrafts, they
can reach altitudes of 15,000 feet and stay aloft for hours,
reaching speeds of 55 miles per hour.
These birds are carrion feeders and prefer
large dead animals but will also feed on smaller dead mammals,
such as rodents.
These birds are found in the mountains
north of Los Angeles, California. They are extremely rare and
on the brink of extinction. A breeding program was started and
the first chick was hatched in captivity in 1983. To date, 13
California condors have been reintroduced to the wild but the
mortality rate was very high. Today there are 87 condors in existence,
with three in the wild. They are kept at the San Diego Wild Animal
Park, the Los Angeles Zoo and the World Center for Birds of Prey
in Boise, Idaho.
