Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-11-16
Our BIC C0ND0RS
IN Weight and Spread Of Wing
They Surpass All Other Birds.
MYSTERY IN THEIR FLIGHTS

MYSTERY IN THEIR FLIGHTS.
With Fixed outsprsad Wings These
WONDERFUL 0irds vii, Sweep Upward
and Onward Through the Air With.
out the Movement Of . Feather.
1t is not commonly known that we
have 4 condor In the United States.
yet there Is one on the Pacific coast
that In weight and spread OF wing sur.
passes all other birds. From tip to
tip Of wing It measures more than ten
feet. considerably more than the con.
dor of the Andes and about a yard
more than the largest eagle or swan.
This condor Is black. tinged with
brown. except under the wings. where
there Is a long. narrow strip of almost
pure white running the whole length
Of the wing and widening near the
body. 1t has no ruiz round the neck,
but a fringe Of long, narrow black
feathers OH the back Of the neck gives
It a savage appearance. 1t nests
among the rocks in lofty cliffs, laying
several white eggs much larger than
those Of the turkey or goose. From
1876 to 1885 condors were 30 album.
dant In sonthern California that I used
to see them almost every day, but now
they are found only In the wilder noun
tains. Their eggs bring 500 each In
the larger museums of the country.
If an animal Is sick or disabled the
condor rarely hesitates to attack It.
and its fate Is soon sealed II It II not
strong enough to defend itself or eS
cape its enemy.
Like the condor Of the Andes, that
Of California will so gorge itself with
food at times that it car be lassoed
in the quick dash Of 4 good horse. A
friend Of mine at San Jacinto had one
that had been caught In that way.
But. although he had thousands Of
sheep and cattle. be had to give the
bird away because be could not AFFORD
to feed It. 1t would eat a whole sheep
at a meal and then look hungry and
sad. as If it were badly treated.
Once clear Of the ground. with wings
ouspread. the condor has no trouble
In bearing away into the clouds q din.
uer that will last a week or two.
Standing on the ground at a distance
this great bird looks much like a big
black Newfoundland dog sitting up for
4 cracker. but In the air It surpasses In
grace and variety Of action every other
wanderer Of the skies. The whooping
crane. that floats like a speck Of down
In the remotest blue; the frigate bird,
whose wing seems never made to fold.
even the albatross. are all clumsy and
monotonous compared with the condor.
It travels in a series Of winding lines.
in which symmetry and grace always
govern the boldest sweeps or the high.
est bursts Of speed.
Dozens Of times | have laid among
the rocks and had the condor come so
near that l could plainly see the spar
kle of the brown eye in the vivid red
Of the bare bead. and with the strong
glass that ! always carried In bunting
deer have brought the bird much
nearer Yet never could I detect the
slightest motion Of wing or feathers
beyond q lazy lap or two at intervals
Of several minutes or a simple inbend.
ing Of the tips of the wings, as II feel
Ing the breeze to be sure it was there.
And the bird often floats an hour or
more without ever this slight motion.
1t is quite wonderful when the con.
dor sets its. wings and slides sidewise
across a strong breeze without any de.
scent, vet without falling backward.
and still SO to see the great bird
return with a swing Of half a mile or
more. arriving hundreds Of feet above
the point Of starting and perhaps hum
dreds Of yards ahead Of 1t.
When l have been well hidden among
the rocks l have een q condor within
4 few yards hanging on tho air for
many seconds at a time-not like the
hawk balancing itself to fall upon some
bird below, but seeming to sleep there
as peacefully and quietly az a summer
cloud. Then suddenly the bird has
turned half over and cleft the air with
4 sharp hiss of wing feathers, for
which there vas not the slightest mo-
ton Of a wing to account. And all this
time the condor has been rising instead
Of falling. and ! have vainlyr watched
the fringed tips Of the great wings for
the slightest sign of motion.-Y. s. Van
lvka in Y0nth,a Cnmnani0n.