Condor Watch Talk

Carcass preferences - for Scientist Person

  • wreness by wreness moderator

    I've seen this in a lot of photos and wonder why this occurs -

    There can be more than 1 carcass - like in this photo. There is one on the left and one on the right. The condors are feeding at the right while there's a bunch of condors standing right at the left-side one, gazing intently at the right-side one. Only 1 condor is eating on the left. They're actually standing on the left carcass but totally ignoring it. Why do they do this? I've seen this even when perfectly yummy, juicy, fresh carcasses are available. Condors will be swarming and elbowing each other eating at 1 of them and many condors will be standing there salivating, gazing longingly, waiting their turn while an entire juicy, fresh carcass is right there, being ignored. What causes this strange preference?

    addition - another example - brown carcass at left not being eaten by the condors standing within distance of it, but they're all looking at the one being eaten at the far right.

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  • myraf by myraf scientist

    Hi! So, the field crews do not always put out two carcasses at once, there are usually two out but some days they will place one fresh carcass to add to the mix - so they might be waiting for some of their favorite bits from a fresh one. Another factor might be that the condors prefer to use preexisting entry points to get at the really juicy innards - so if someone else has done the work on one of the carcasses and they want to wait to dive in on that one versus tear through the hide of the other one - even if it is also fresh. This is one reason why condors are so regularly lead poisoned if they find a carcass shot with lead ammunition - the birds prefer to eat at the wound entry points and that is where the highest density of lead fragments are.

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  • wreness by wreness moderator

    Thanks, myraf! I kinda don't blame them for waiting if it saves work. It's funny to see them with their eyes bugging out of their heads, glowing red like laser beams when there's a whole meal at their own feet but waiting for that yummy pancreas is always so worth it 😛

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