BrokenWing Chronicles
Endangered and Threatened Raptors of the World

Condor, Andean (vultur gryphus)
Condors mate for life, they both take care of their chick, they don't kill animals, only eat their remains, and they look the way they do for very specialized reasons.

The condor is the largest vulture in South America. It has a wing span of up to 10 feet and more. Male condors can weigh 24 to 33 pounds, and females from 18 to 24
pounds. It has mostly black feathers, with white flight feathers on its wing. Head feathers would get dirty when they ate, so their heads and necks are naked like most vultures. The skin on the head and throat hang in lose folds, and is reddish-black, with a fleshy wattle over the beak, called a caruncle. Condors can soar to altitudes of 18,000 feet, and to keep their heads warm at that height they tuck them into a downy, white neck ruff.

Condors can live up to 50 years, and mate for life. The female will lay her egg on a cliff ledge. Because there aren't any trees or other materials to build a nest with where they live they lay their egg on bare rock. Both parents take turns incubating the egg. They have one chick every other year. Their young take a lot of time and effort to raised. They can't fly until they are 6 months old and then rely on their parents for two more years.

Andean condors roost on the face of a cliff, and use the thermal updraft of warm morning air to lift off. They spend most of the day soaring on the updrafts created by the mountains and valleys. They cover a large area while foraging. Andean condors can be found over the coasts of Peru and Chile, and the Patagonian steppe of Argentina. They can spot a carcass from several miles off. Usually they follow smaller scavenger birds to find a carcass. This helps both scavengers, because only the condor can tear through the tough hides of some carcasses. The older condors get to eat first, and then the younger ones take turns in order of age. Condors feed mostly on the remains of mammals such as sheep, llama, vicuña, cattle, seals and the eggs of seabirds. Sometimes they will take newborn animals.

The Andean condor has a long life, but breeds very slowly. It takes them 6 to 8 years before they become mature. Any interference from humans quickly disturbs their pattern of breeding. Hunters kill the condor for sport, and farmers kill them because they think condors kill their animals. Because they mate for life, the death of a mate is very hard on the other partner and their chick. Condors have also died recently from pesticides that have been carried through the food chains. The number of Andean condors has gone down rapidly in recent years, but they still aren't on the official endangered list. Rescue attempts have been made through breeding captive condors and habitat research. These efforts have been moderately successful.

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Andean Condor - Vultur gryphus

MEASUREMENTS: The Andean Condor has a body length of 43 - 51 inches and an 11-foot wingspan. The smaller female weighs 17 1/2 - 24 pounds while the larger male weighs 24 - 33 pounds.
Andean Condor habitat mapHABITAT: Andean Condors prefer open grasslands and alpine areas in high mountain regions of western South America. These condors will go to lowland deserts and coastlines to forage, but will rarely visit forested areas.

DIET: Their diet mainly consists of carrion from large and medium-sized mammals. Condors cover great distances while soaring in search of food.

REPRODUCTION: These condors nest in caves or on ledges on a cliff face. They lay a single egg that is incubated for about 59 days. The young birds learn to fly around 6 months of age, but stay with the parents for several more months. Condors may only breed every other year because of the extended breeding season. Young birds become sexually mature at 6 or more years of age.

NAME DERIVATION: The scientific name comes from the Latin words vultur and vello, meaning to pluck or tear and refers to its feeding habits and gryphus means a griffon and refers to the hooked bill. The common name refers to the bird’s range in the Andes Mountains.

INTERESTING FACTS:

* The male Andean Condor is one of the largest flying birds.

* Andean Condors may kill some living prey, whereas the California Condor never kills living prey.

* The Andean Condor is the only New World vulture to show differences between males and females. The male has a large comb and wattle that is absent in the females.

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Andean Condor

Eagle, Greenland white-tailed (Haliaeetus albicilla groenlandicus)

Description
The White-tailed Eagle is a large bird, 70-90 cm long with a 200-250 cm wingspan. Females, weighing 4–6.9 kg, are significantly larger than the males, which weigh 3–5.4 kg. It has broad "barn door" wings, a large head and thick "meat-cleaver" beak. The adult is mainly brown except for the paler head and neck, blackish flight feathers, distinctive white tail, and yellow bill and legs. In juvenile birds the tail and bill are darker, with the tail becoming white with a dark terminal band in sub-adults.

Distribution and systematics

This large eagle breeds in northern Europe and northern Asia. The largest population in Europe is found along the coast of Norway. They are mostly resident, only the northernmost birds such as the eastern Scandinavian and Siberian population migrating south in winter.

Small disjunct resident populations occur in southwesternmost Greenland and western Iceland. The former has been proposed as a distinct subspecies groenlandicus based on their very large size and body proportions. However, the species is now considered monotypic and the size variation is clinal according to Bergmann's Rule.[4] A recent genetic study of mitochondrial DNA [5] has given support to this idea. Greenlandic white-tailed eagles are, on evolutionary time scales, a relatively recently founded population that has not yet accumulated a lot of unique genetic characteristics. However, the population appears to be demographically isolated and deserves special protection.

The White-tailed Eagle forms a species pair with the Bald Eagle. These diverged from other sea eagles at the beginning of the early Miocene (c. 10 mya) at the latest, possibly (if the most ancient fossil record is correctly assigned to this genus) as early as the early/middle Oligocene, about 28 mya ago.[6]

As in other sea-eagle species pairs, this one consists of a white-headed (the Bald Eagle) and a tan-headed species. They probably diverged in the North Pacific, spreading westwards into Eurasia and eastwards into North America. Like the third northern species, Steller's Sea-eagle, they have yellow talons, beaks and eyes in adults.

Diet

The Eagle's diet is varied, including fish, birds, carrion and, occasionally, small mammals. Many birds live almost wholly as scavengers, regularly pirating food from otters and other birds, but this eagle can be a powerful hunter, as well. Locally, this species may compete fiercely with Golden Eagles over the rabbits and hares either eagle may catch. The daily food requirement is in the region of 500-600 g.[7] Although a less active hunter than the Golden Eagle, and usually losing out to them in direct competition for a single food item, they can exist at higher population densities and out-compete Golden Eagles because of their longer gut and more efficient digestive system, being able to live better with less food.

Breeding

White-tailed Eagles are sexually mature at four or five years of age. They pair for life, though if one dies replacement can occur quickly. A bond is formed when a permanent home range is chosen. They have a characteristic aerial courtship display which culminates in the pair locking claws mid-air and whirling earthwards in series of spectacular cartwheels. White-tailed Eagles are much more vocal than Golden Eagles, particularly during the breeding season and especially the male when near the eyrie. Calls can sometimes take on the form of a duet between the pair.

The nest is a huge edifice of sticks in a tree or on a coastal cliff. Being faithful to their territories, once they breed, nests are often reused, sometimes for decades by successive generations of birds; one nest in Iceland has been in use for over 150 years.[3] In Scandinavia, trees have been known to collapse under the weight of enormous, long established nests.

The territory of the White-tailed Eagle ranges between 30–70 km², normally in sheltered coastal locations. Sometimes they are found in-land by lakes and along river systems. The territory of the White-tailed Eagles can overlap with the territory of the Golden Eagle, though competition between the two species is limited. Golden Eagles prefer mountains and moorland, while the White-tailed Eagle prefers the coast and the sea.

Mated pairs produce one to three eggs per year. The eggs are laid two to five days apart in March or April and are incubated for 38 days by both parents. Once hatched, chicks are quite tolerant of one another, although the first hatched is often larger and dominant at feeding times. The female does most of the brooding and direct feeding, with the male taking over now and then. Young are able to feed themselves from five to six weeks and they fledge at eleven to twelve weeks, remaining in the vicinity of the nest, dependent on their parents for a further six to ten weeks. The sex of nestlings can be identified using field methods, or using DNA. [9]

Surplus chicks are sometimes removed from nests to use in reintroduction programs in areas where the species has died out. If left in the nest, they are often killed by the first-hatched sooner or later, as in most large eagles.

In such programs, the birds are raised in boxes on platforms in the tree canopy and fed in such a way that they cannot see the person supplying their food, until they are old enough to fly and thus find their own food.

The Link.
White-tailed Eagle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BrokenWing Chronicles
Madagascar Fish Eagle
Haliaeetus vociferoides
Critically Endangered

The Madagascar Fish-eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides[1]) or Madagascar Sea-eagle (to distinguish it from the Ichthyophaga fishing-eagles), is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, buzzards and harriers. The range of this eagle is within the Madagascar dry deciduous forests. It is a medium-sized sea-eagle, 70-80 cm long and with a wingspan of 200 cm. The body and wings are dark brown, with a pale brown head and a white tail; the bill is blackish with a paler base, and the legs are pale grey

Its closest relative is the African Fish-eagle, Haliaeetus vocifer. Together, they form a distinct species pair lineage of sea-eagles, which separated soon after the divergence of the genus; they retain the ancestral dark beak, talon, and eye, but as opposed to other Haliaeetus species, their tails are always at least partially white even in juveniles. Like in other sea-eagle species pairs, one species (the Madagascar Fish-eagle in this case) has a tan head, while the other has a white one.

This species is endemic to Madagascar, where it survives in low numbers along the west coast. The main threats to its breeding habitat are deforestation, soil erosion and the development of wetland areas for rice-paddies. It is also in direct competition with humans for fish stocks.

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Madagascar Fish Eagle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Range & population Haliaeetus vociferoides survives in low numbers along the west coast of Madagascar. Surveys during 1991-1995 recorded at least 222 adults from 105 sites, apparently concentrated into three main regions: the Antsalova region west of Bemaraha Reserve, along the Tsiribihina River, and the coast from Mahajamba Bay to the island of Nosy Hara5. The breeding population was estimated at 99 pairs (twice the estimate from the period 1980-1985, probably due to more comprehensive surveying), with a decline in some areas5. Immature birds wander widely, making the non-breeding population difficult to assess3,5. Surveys by the Peregrine Fund in 2005-2006 recorded birds in the Manambolomaty conservation area, Tambohorano, Miandrivaso, Belo-sur-Mer, Manja and Belo-sur-Tsiribihina11, but no revised population estimate is available.

The Link
Madagascar Fish-eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides) - BirdLife species factsheet

The total population of the Madagascar fish eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides), believed to be one of the world's rarest birds, is estimated at around forty pairs, which are threatened by both habitat destruction and direct persecution.

The Link
Eagles of the World - baldeagleinfo.com

BrokenWing Chronicles
Spanish Imperial Eagle
(Aquila adalberti)
highly endangered

The Spanish Imperial Eagle is smaller and darker than its oriental cousin, and it is a resident species (A. heliaca migrated to SE during winter). This eagle feeds mainly on rabbits, but it can predate over many other animals, like rodents, hares, pigeons, crows, ducks and foxes. The species is classified as Vulnerable. Threats include loss of habitat and illegal poisoning. There has also been a decline in the Spanish rabbit population, as a result of myxomatosis and other viral illnesses. The current population is estimated at less than 500.
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Spanish Imperial Eagle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Imperial Eagles are ready to breed for the first time when they are about four years old. When they reach this age, they find a mate whom they stay with for life. If one happens to die, however, the other will usually find a new mate and breed the next year. Every pair will build a nest, called an eyrie, in the top of a tree. These nests are generally made mainly with sticks, and are used only during the spring and summer months. Females will generally lay two eggs a year. Sometimes, however, they will lay three eggs, and on a few rare occasions they will lay four. These eggs have to be incubated for about forty-three days before they can hatch, and both parents will participate in the incubation. Even though two eggs are usually hatched, it is unusual for both eaglets, or baby eagles, to survive. One is usually born a couple days earlier than the other. This older, larger eaglet eats more than its share of food, and will repeatedly attack, often killing, the younger one. The young eagles are ready to fly when they are sixty days old. They stay near the nest, however, for an additional two weeks, and continue to be fed by the mother until they are ready to hunt for themselves. (Bologna 1978, Eagle 1988)
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ADW: Aquila heliaca: Information

Food Habits

The Imperial Eagle, like other birds of prey, is a carnivore. Its main source of food is small mammals, such as rabbits and susliks (ground squirrels in the genus Spermophilus). It will also eat reptiles, including some poisonous snakes, and other birds, such as young magpies, waders, and ducks. It has been known to feed on some carrion as well, carrying off lambs that were already dead. It generally hunts by slowly flying around the open areas near the forest where it resides, staying just above the treetop level, and scanning for prey. Its excellent eyesight makes spotting prey easy. When it sees a suitable prey item it will drop down on it, using its talons to kill and carry the prey. It will also, on a few occasions, perch high on a tree near the edge of the forest, and drop on its prey from there. (Channing 2000, Eagle 1988)
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ADW: Aquila heliaca: Information

Threats

In the 1960s, with just 30 pairs remaining, conservation efforts succeeded in increasing the population of the Spanish imperial eagle by a considerable amount. However, since 1994, the population has been allowed to decline again to just 160 pairs. There are several causes of this decline: habitat fragmentation due to deforestation for agricultural land and timber has disturbed breeding grounds, intentional poisoning on hunting reserves to reduce natural predators of game species, lead shot poisoning as a result of ingestion of game killed with bullets, and electrocution on power cables (2). Approximately 80% of eagles killed on power lines are female, causing a greater impact on this monogamous species than if equal numbers of males and females were killed (10).

The Spanish imperial eagle relies mainly on rabbits as prey, and following drops in rabbit abundance due to shooting and disease, food supplies have been limited causing reduced breeding success
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Spanish imperial eagle - Aquila adalberti: Species Information - ARKive

Range & population Aquila adalberti breeds in Spain in the Sierras of Guadarrama and Gredos, the plains of the Tajo and Tiétar rivers, the central hills of Extremadura, Montes de Toledo, the Alcudia valley, Sierra Morena and the Guadalquivir marshes, with occasional nesting in Salamanca and Málaga. In the 1960s, only 30 pairs remained, but recovery began in the early 1980s at a rate of five new breeding pairs per year up to 1994. After 1994, the population again started to decline from 148 pairs to 131 pairs in 19981, and breeding success in important areas such as the Guadalquivir marshes declined dramatically in the late 1990s1. However, this is thought to represent a brief levelling out of a positive trend, and the population is now believed to number around 200 breeding pairs5,8. The estimated population size has increased annually in Spain since 2000, and the species has recently recolonised Portugal (two pairs). Some of these increases can be attributed to more thorough searches within its range (notably in Andalucía), which is currently split into three subpopulations with relatively little interchange.
The Link
Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aquila adalberti) - BirdLife species factsheet