_____________________________________ THE ANDEAN CONDOR: A FIELD STUDY _____________________________________ By: Jerry McGahan Box 71 Arlee, MT 59821 (406) 726-3480 [email protected] JerryMcGahan.com With photographs, field, and clerical assistance by: Libby Sale Dedicated to the Memory of Carlos Lehmann V Maria Koepcke Enrique Avila William Millie i Table of Contents PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDMENTS……………………………………………………… 1 1 THE STUDY .............................................................................................................................. 6 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 6 STUDY AREAS .............................................................................................................. 15 Colombia .............................................................................................................. 15 Cerro Illescas ....................................................................................................... 18 Paracas ................................................................................................................ 20 THE SUBJECT ................................................................................................................ 21 Taxonomy ............................................................................................................. 21 Description ........................................................................................................... 22 Age-Related Characters ....................................................................................... 22 Molt…………… ...................................................................................... 23 Head and Neck Color ............................................................................... 25 2 THE CONDOR IN ANDEAN CULTURE .............................................................................. 27 LEGENDS AND LORE .................................................................................................. 28 CONDOR-BULL FIESTA .............................................................................................. 30 THE CONDOR RACHI .................................................................................................. 32 REPRESENTATIONS IN ART ...................................................................................... 33 3 GENERAL ACTIVITY ............................................................................................................ 35 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 35 COMMON PATTERNS .................................................................................................. 37 Standing, Sitting, and Lying ................................................................................. 37 Walking ................................................................................................................ 38 Running, Bounding, and Climbing....................................................................... 39 Preening ............................................................................................................... 40 Bathing and Drinking .......................................................................................... 42 Durations of Bathing. ............................................................................... 43 Bathing and Drinking Sites. ..................................................................... 44 Stretching ............................................................................................................. 44 The Bow Stretch. ..................................................................................... 45 The Side Stretch. ...................................................................................... 45 Body Shaking ....................................................................................................... 46 Defecating ............................................................................................................ 47 Head and Neck Wiping ........................................................................................ 48 Scratching the Head ............................................................................................. 49 Shaking and Turning the Head ............................................................................ 50 Raising the Ruff .................................................................................................... 51 Gaping, Panting, and Blinking ............................................................................ 52 Vocalizing ............................................................................................................ 53 Exploratory Nibbling…………………………………………………………………….54 RESPONSE TO WEATHER ........................................................................................... 54 ii Sunning ................................................................................................................ 54 Descriptions. ............................................................................................ 54 Social Context. ......................................................................................... 55 Durations. ................................................................................................. 56 Function. .................................................................................................. 56 Perch Use and Sun Exposure ............................................................................... 59 Foraging and Air Movement ................................................................................ 60 Rain………………………… .................................................................................. 62 Temperature Control…………………………………………………………………… 62 Panting. .................................................................................................... 63 Defecation on the Tarsi. ........................................................................... 63 Correlates of Cloacal Temperature. ......................................................... 64 DIURNAL VARIATIONS IN ACTIVITY LEVELS ..................................................... 66 SEQUENTIAL ORGANIZATION ................................................................................. 68 Method of Study ................................................................................................... 68 Results and Discussion ........................................................................................ 70 Patterns Separated by Brief Intervals. ...................................................... 70 Patterns Separated by Extended Intervals. ............................................... 71 Preening. .................................................................................................. 71 CONCLUSIONS ………………………………………………………………………. 72 4 REPRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 74 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 74 THE TIMETABLE .......................................................................................................... 75 SEXUAL BEHAVIOR .................................................................................................... 77 Courtship.............................................................................................................. 77 Description of the Courtship Posture. ...................................................... 77 Male-Female Variation. ........................................................................... 79 Durations. ................................................................................................. 80 Stimulus and Response. ........................................................................... 81 Time and Location. .................................................................................. 82 The Courtship Posture as a Threat? ......................................................... 83 Other Courtship-Related Activities.......................................................... 84 Copulation............................................................................................................ 85 Pre-Copulation Activities......................................................................... 85 Motor Patterns……….............................................................................. 86 Head and Neck Positions ………………………………………………. 86 Wing Position and Movement …………………………………………. 87 Body Position and Movement ………………………………………….. 88 Durations. ................................................................................................. 89 Post-Copulation Activities. ...................................................................... 90 Coition With Sex Roles Reversed? .......................................................... 91 Frequency Comparison With Gymnogyps ............................................... 91 Mate Relations of Individual Pairs ...................................................................... 91 Associations ............................................................................................. 92 Activities .................................................................................................