134 LAND BIRDS 



wool, I believe such cases are uncommon ; the bird 

 usually builds her own home, and returns to it two years 

 in succession, if not molested. 



11. —BIRDS OF PREY 



324. CALIFORNIA VULTURE, OR CONDOR. 



Gymnogyps califomianus. 



Family : The Vultures. 



Length: 44.00-55.00 ; extent 8^ feet to nearly 11 feet. 



Adults: Head and neck covered with a warty orange skin ; bill pale 



yellow ; plumage black ; wing-coverts tipped with white ; under 



wing-coverts pure white. 

 Young : Like adults, but naked skin and bill black ; more or less cov- 

 ered with sooty gray down. 

 Downy Young : Covered with white cottony down ; bill yellow. 

 Geographical Didribution : Coast ranges of Southern California from 



Monterey County to Mexico. 

 Breeding Eange : Breeds in the mountainous districts throughout its 



habitat. 

 Breeding Season : Eggs have been taken in April and May. 

 Nest: The' bare floor of a cave or recess among the rocks, or in a hollow 



stump. 

 Eggs ; 1 or 2 ; plain grayish green or dull greenish white. Size 



4.46 X 2.48. 



The California Condor is, so far as known, the largest 

 bird that flies, except its cousin the Condor of the Andes, 

 and was formerly abundant throughout the coast ranges 

 of Southern California. It has become comparatively 

 rare through various causes, chief among them the feed- 

 ing upon poisoned flesh put out by stockmen to kill wild 

 animals. For a long time the. species was on the verge 

 of extermination, but through the efforts of the Cooper 



