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)