CALIFORNIA CONDOR 75 
pick out its own offspring with unfailing accuracy. (Reproduced 
from studies at Pelican Island, Florida.) 
This beautiful bird has been brought to the verge of extinction in 
this country through the use of its “‘aigrette plumes”’ 
American for millinery purposes, and is now confined to a few pro- 
Egret Group tected rookeries of the South. The birds have these 
plumes only during the nesting season, at which time the 
death of the parent means the starvation of the young. (Reproduced 
from studies in a rookery of South Carolina.) 
The turkey vulture, or “buzzard,” is one of the best-known birds of 
the South, where it performs a valuable service in acting as 
the scavenger of the streets. On this account it is pro- 
tected by law and by public sentiment and has become both 
abundant and tame. (Reproduced from studies at Plummer Island in 
the Potomac River, near Washington.) 
The California condor is the largest and one of the rarest of North- 
American birds. It is not so heavy as the condor of the 
Andes, but has a slightly greater spread of wing, eight and 
one-half to eleven feet. In the group the visitor is sup- 
posed to be standing in the interior of the cave where the bird has its 
nest and is looking down on the river of the cafon which is more than 
five thousand feet below. (Reproduced from studies in Piru Cafion, 
California.) 
The foreground of the group shows a detail of the island that is 
painted in the background. The young birds are feeding, 
Turkey Vulture 
Group 
California 
Condor Group 
a and it will be noticed that one fledgling is reaching well 
Group down the mother’s throat after the predigested food. 
(Reproduced from studies at Monterey, California.) 
Formerly this area was an arid place with a characteristic desert bird 
Sen Joaquin fauna. Now the ranchmen have irrigated the land and 
Valley Group aquatic bird-life abounds. This group is a good illustra- 
tion of the influence of man on the bird-life of a region. 
In the breeding season the flamingoes congregate in great numbers in 
their rookeries. There were estimated to be two thousand 
nests in this colony. The flamingoes construct their nests 
by scooping up mud with their bills and packing it down 
by means of bills and feet. The nests are raised to a height of twelve or 
fourteen inches; this protects eggs and young from disasters due to 
high water. Only one egg is laid in the nest, and the young is born 
covered with down like a young duck and is fed by the mother on 
predigestedfood. The brilliant plumage of the adult is not acquired until 
the fifth or sixth moult. (Reproduced from studiesin the Bahama Islands.) 
to) 
Group 

