|
The California condor (''Gymnogyps californianus'') is a New World vulture, the largest North American land bird. This condor became extinct in the wild in 1987 (all remaining wild individuals were captured), but the species has been reintroduced to northern Arizona and southern Utah (including the Grand Canyon area and Zion National Park), the coastal mountains of central and southern California, and northern Baja California. Although other fossil members are known, it is the only surviving member of the genus ''Gymnogyps''. The plumage is black with patches of white on the underside of the wings; the head is largely bald, with skin color ranging from gray on young birds to yellow and bright orange on breeding adults. Its huge wingspan is the widest of any North American bird, and its weight of up to nearly equals that of the trumpeter swan, the heaviest among native North American bird species. The condor is a scavenger and eats large amounts of carrion. It is one of the world's longest-living birds, with a lifespan of up to 60 years. Condor numbers dramatically declined in the 20th century due to poaching, lead poisoning, and habitat destruction.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 publisher=The Zoological Society of San Diego's Center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species )〕 A conservation plan was put in place by the United States government that led to the capture of all the remaining wild condors which was completed in 1987, with a total population of 27 individuals. These surviving birds were bred at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and the Los Angeles Zoo. Numbers rose through captive breeding and, beginning in 1991, condors were reintroduced into the wild. The California condor is one of the world's rarest bird species: as of October 2014 there are 425 condors living wild or in captivity. The condor is a significant bird to many Californian Native American groups and plays an important role in several of their traditional myths. ==Taxonomy== The California condor was described by English naturalist George Shaw in 1797 as ''Vultur californianus''. It was originally classified in the same genus as the Andean condor (''V. gryphus''), but, due to the Andean condor's slightly different markings, slightly longer wings, and tendency to kill small animals to eat,〔Nielsen 2006, p. 27〕 the California condor has now been placed in its own monotypic genus. The generic name ''Gymnogyps'' is derived from the Greek ''gymnos''/γυμνος "naked" or "bare", and ''gyps''/γυψ "vulture", while the specific name ''californianus'' comes from its location in California. The word condor itself is derived from the Quechua word ''kuntur''. The exact taxonomic placement of the California condor and the other six species of New World vultures remains unclear.〔 Though similar in appearance and ecological roles to Old World vultures, the New World vultures evolved from a different ancestor in a different part of the world. Just how different the two are is currently under debate, with some earlier authorities suggesting that the New World vultures are more closely related to storks.〔Sibley, Charles G. and Monroe, Burt L. 1990. ''(Distribution and Taxonomy of the Birds of the World )''. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-04969-2. Accessed April 11, 2007.〕 More recent authorities maintain their overall position in the order Falconiformes along with the Old World vultures〔Sibley, Charles G., and Ahlquist, Jon E.. 1991. ''(Phylogeny and Classification of Birds: A Study in Molecular Evolution )''. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-04085-7. Accessed April 11, 2007.〕 or place them in their own order, Cathartiformes.〔 (Electronic Supplementary Material ) (PDF)〕 The South American Classification Committee has removed the New World vultures from Ciconiiformes and instead placed them in ''Incertae sedis'', but notes that a move to Falconiformes or Cathartiformes is possible.〔Remsen, J. V., Jr.; C. D. Cadena; A. Jaramillo; M. Nores; J. F. Pacheco; M. B. Robbins; T. S. Schulenberg; F. G. Stiles; D. F. Stotz & K. J. Zimmer. 2007. (''A classification of the bird species of South America.'' ) South American Classification Committee. Retrieved on October 15, 2007〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「California condor」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|