Trivia question for Aug-29-2011

Olivia decided to reach out to our avian friends again to bring you our trivia for today.  These guys can soar at altitudes of up to 18,000-feet and can spot a carcass from a distance of several miles.  These guys have the largest ‘wing area’ (not wing span) of any bird (nearly 6.5 sq. ft), allowing it to glide on rising air currents.

These birds are primarily a scavenger, feeding on carrion. It prefers large carcasses, such as those of deer or cattle. It reaches sexual maturity at five or six years of age and nests at elevations of up to 16,000 ft, generally on inaccessible rock ledges. One or two eggs are usually laid. It is one of the world’s longest-living birds, with a lifespan of up to 100 years old in captivity.

So here are Olivia’s questions:  Tell what this bird is called and where they can be found?  Also, South American Indians believed that eating one particular part of these birds would heighten one of their senses.  Tell us what body part they ate and how if was believed to help them?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulation goes to Tami Kannenberg from Washington State for being the first with the correct answer. The foul bird we featured is the Andean Condor. The Andean Condor is a species of South American bird found in the Andes mountains and adjacent Pacific coasts of western South America.

The Andean Condor is a national symbol of Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador, and plays an important role in the folklore and mythology of the Andean regions. The Andean Condor is considered near threatened by the IUCN. It is threatened by habitat loss and by secondary poisoning from carcasses killed by hunters. Captive breeding programs have been instituted in several countries.

And as Tami pointed out, the bones of these birds were thought to have medicinal powers and some South American Indian’s ate the eyes of these birds in order to heighten and sharpen their eyesight. Here is more on these hefty birds: Andean Condor

Thanks for playing along 😉