Condor Watch Talk

Juvenile to adulthood

  • inaspin by inaspin

    How long is it before the condor gets to adulthood with the full glory of the red head and neck? I just noticed that I recorded a bird as being "juvenile" which was hatched in 2009 and the image was 2013.

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  • wreness by wreness moderator

    Hi Inaspin!

    From our illustrious Field Guide: As they grow into adults, a process that takes 5-6 years, skin on their head, neck, and crop turns pink to orange, and the white underwing patch becomes more defined. Condor eye color also changes from brown to red as they age into adulthood. For the purposes of this project, only condors with completely pink-orange heads will be considered adults.

    And to add - Some sites say their heads start to turn when they are 3-4 years old. 😃

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  • inaspin by inaspin

    Ta muchly! Enlightenment is an excellent thing. I shall consult field guide next time I have a question!

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  • wreness by wreness moderator in response to inaspin's comment.

    (The Field Guide and Wikipedia will make you sound like a genius. Works for me, anyway 😃)

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