The California Condor is a species of North American bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae. Currently, this condor inhabits only the western coastal mountains of the United States, Baja California, and the Grand Canyon. It is the only surviving member of the genus Gymnogyps, though fossil members are known. It is a large, black vulture with patches of white on the underside of the wings and a largely bald head with skin color ranging from yellowish to a glowing red, depending on the bird’s mood. It has the largest wingspan of any bird found in North America and is one of the heaviest. The condor is a scavenger and eats large amounts of carrion. They are one of the world's longest-living birds, with lifespans of up to 50 years. Condor numbers dramatically declined in the 1800s due to poaching, lead poisoning, and habitat destruction. Eventually, a conservation plan was put in place by the United States government that led to the capture of all the remaining wild condors in 1987. These 22 birds were bred at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and the Los Angeles Zoo. Numbers rose through captive breeding and, beginning in 1991, condors have been reintroduced into the wild. The project is the most expensive species conservation project ever undertaken in the United States. The California Condor is one of the world's rarest bird species. As of November 2007 there are 302 individuals living, including 155 in the wild.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Condor

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1639: English astronomer Jeremiah Horrocks made the first observation of a transit of Venus (2004 picture shown). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/transit_of_Venus)

1676: Scanian War: Forces led by Swedish Field Marshal Simon Grundel-Helmfelt defeated the invading army of Denmark–Norway under the command of King Christian V at the Battle of Lund in an area north of Lund, Sweden. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lund)

1791: The Observer, the world's first Sunday newspaper, was first published. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Observer)

1991: Pan American World Airways, which was the principal international airline of the United States and which was credited with many innovations, ended operations. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_American_World_Airways)

1992: Operation Restore Hope: U.S. President George H. W. Bush ordered American troops into Somalia to help provide humanitarian aid and restore order after the dissolution of the country's central government during the ongoing Somali Civil War. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Civil_War)

_____________________ Wiktionary's Word of the day:

grimalkin: A cat, especially an elderly female. (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/grimalkin)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

You don't get very far in life without having to be brave an awful lot. Because we all have our frightening moments and difficult trials and we don't have much of a choice but to get through 'em, and it takes a lot of bravery to do that. The most important thing about bravery is this — It's not about not being scared — it's about being scared and doing it anyway — that's bravery. -- Ysabella Brave

(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ysabella_Brave)