The national bird of Ecuador is Andean condor. The condor is one of the strongest birds that fly over the national sky. It represents “strength” in our national coat of arms. It is distinguished by its brilliant bluish black plumage and a white feather “choker” around the base of the neck.
Ecuado National Bird
- Its scientific name is Vultur gryphus.
- The bird is huge, reaching a wingspan of 3.2 meters.
- Its weight ranges from 8 to 15 kilos.
- The number of offspring is one every two years.
Interesting Facts about national bird of Ecuador
National bird of Ecuador Andean condor nests and rests uncovered in inaccessible mountain protrusions, thousands of meters high. It is well endowed for life in these places. The area of its wings, the largest of all birds, allows you to go back to great heights. (The common albatross has more wingspans, but its wings are narrower).
This huge bird takes advantage of upward thermal currents to fly. To control the direction of the flight, it regulates the amount of air passing between the tweezers, closing or opening them. He is able to plan for five more kilometers.
To land, lower and extend the legs, which act as brakes. The condor is clumsy on the ground, where it sits only to eat; then the flight goes back.
Feeding
Their diet is based on carrion and sometimes on small or short-lived species. If you are in some uninhabited area of food you can travel more than 200 kilometers a day for your search.
Do you Know Palmchat is the national bird of Dominican Republic ?
It has a sharp view. It turns in a circle, looking for herds of guanacos, flames and alpacas, or carrion. When it locates the spoils, it precipitates from the sky, followed by other condors. With its powerful beak, it tears the skin of the dead animal.
Part of the head and neck of the condor lack feathers. Since it is impossible for you to clean these areas of the body, which are stained with blood when eating, this bare skin proves to be a very useful adaptation. In the more southern areas, the Andean condor feeds on penguins and dead fish.
Reproduction
The condors are basically monogamous, meaning that they choose a couple and stay with it for life. Just in case one of the two dies, the other seeks a new partner.
[table caption=”Andean condor Features” width=”500″]
No.,Features,Measures,
1,National Bird,Andean condor
2,Family,Cathartidae
3,Wingspan, 3.3 m (10 ft 10 in)
4,Phylum,Chordata
5,Mass Male, 10.3 kg.
6,Mass Female,10.3 kg.
7,Body Length,9 ft 3 in
[/table]
The reproductive cycle of the condor, from the courtship to the emancipation of the chick, lasts approximately two or three years. It is the species that has the longest incubation period among birds of prey.
The condor egg has a shared incubation between male and female that lasts about 60 days. When born the chick is fed by both parents with regurgitated meat. In his great crop he can store up to 4 kilos of food which he then takes to the nest to feed his offspring. At nine months the young condor is ready to accompany his parents on their flights. From them he assimilates the basic behaviors for his survival.
For nesting they usually choose caves on large vertical rock walls, protected from wind and weather. The dimensions of the nests are highly variable. They deposit the only egg directly on the sandy substrate of the caves in which they have created a depression by pressing the chest against the substrate. They also use the beak to give final shape to the edges of it. This behavior has been observed especially in males.
