California condor survey field notes, v1477
Page 257
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
California Condor Ebenezer McMillan 26 February 1964 Condor, as which action the condor flew into the air while the Eagle chased it about fifty feet before returning to deer Carcass and commencing to feed on this Carcass for the first time. In jumping at the Condor while it and the Condor were on the ground near the deer Carcass, the Eagle seemed to thrust its talons towards the Condor instead of using its beak or wings. The talons could have raked the tail of the Condor, before it got out of the way, but with no momentum it is doubtful that any damage could be done in this manner. Eagle eating on deer Carcass with many ravens gathered about it at 10:51 A.M. while the Condor hovered overhead a few yards. At 10:52 A.M. the Condor sailed downhill about 150 yards to where the lower Jackrabbits had been left as bait. After circling only a few feet above one of these Jackrabbit Carcasses momentarily, the Condor dropped on the ground near the rabbit Carcass. It stood for about 30 seconds staring at the rabbit Carcass and now and then looking down at its own feet as if in fear that some sort of trap were on the ground nearby. It then walked a few steps around the rabbit Carcass, crouching and twisting its head forward and downward as if to get a better look at what might be wrong with the rabbit. Once it flipped its wings a bit and jumped back a bit as if something about the [illegible] Carcass had moved. At 10:53 this Condor flew again and continued to hover above the baits. The Golden Eagle and at least 10 ravens were still feeding about the deer Carcass.