Condor Watch Talk

Condors sitting on "ankles"

  • RenoHatesMe by RenoHatesMe

    I've seen a few condors that are not on their feet but on their ankle-equivalent (tibio-tarsal joint if I remember correctly). Is this a normal position to bring themselves closer to the ground or a sign of a problem (lead poisoning)?

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  • myraf by myraf scientist

    Hi! thank you for your question, most likely these are cases where condors (especially young ones) will often lay on the ground to rest as well as interact with one another. Condors might spend hours or an entire day feeding, interacting, and loafing at a carcass. If a condor was observed roosting or laying on the ground with no other condors present and under different circumstances, it would raise concerns. Let us know if you see a condor where you are concerned, tag the photo or post the link and we will have a look.

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  • darjames by darjames

    I came across one image where an adult condor was rubbing its head on the ground. Is this normal?

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  • wreness by wreness moderator

    Probably. They do this to clean themselves (please don't make me go into detail; you know what I'm talking about 😛) after they eat and who knows? They might have flies or bugs bothering them, or they might have scraped against a bone while eating and it's annoying. And face it, it feels good sometimes. There are photos of condors on the scales reaching down to rub their heads against the wood platform.

    A little sparrow could reach its tiny foot up and scratch its head if it needed to; not so much these condors. Like a bear rubbing up against a tree, it's just easier to use what's handy sometimes 😃

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