Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley.
| www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
Gymnogyps californianus
June 5, 1946 Whiteacre Pk., Calif.
circled again, then soared ¼+ mile S.W., rising. The
Two soared over me (200±') at 11:30. One had puffed
cheeks - perched & in air - and thus resembled
one which nested on N. side of Whiteacre Pk. before.
The other carried feet down. One had #6
right and #7 left primaries short. Neither was
the 5:15 bird of yesterday. They dove off to NE
about 11:35. Slept 9/10 circa 4 min. stratus; fair
S. breeze. I continued on to the old nest on S. N. side
of Whiteacre Pk. near the trail, arriving 12:10. This nest
cave showed no sign of recent condor use. Returned
then to summit of trail arriving at 12:45. I found
on the open rocks there the remains of a coyote which
Sid Beyton had removed from one of Norman Keene's
traps earlier this year, & next to the carcass under
a stone I found one fresh condor alula feather.
The spine from occiput to next to distal tail vertebra
was in one piece, ribs & pelvis attached. A few tips
of small ribs were broken but most intact. Both
hind legs still articulated with pelvis but were
skinned out & flesh eaten halfway down the shin.
One foreleg was inside bone ward pulled out of
shin to just forward of elbow. The other was
separate from carcass & free of flesh & hide to
the toenails. Both had all bones present attached
still. The bill was inside out & had 1 twist.