31 replies to this topic

[Cari Bear]

We saw these HUGE birds flying a few miles North of the East Entrance to Zions National Park which is in Southern Utah.

I believe they are Juvenile California Condors. They have really long fingers and they don't have the
white like the Turkey Vultures we saw. They're sillouette matches my Sibley Book exactly for California Condor,
but it wouldn't hurt to get confirmation.

Can anyone confirm?

https://picasaweb.go...62/April8201202#

[Sparky the Cuttlefish]

Try the link again? I can't find any raptor shots on your Picasa.

[Cari Bear]

https://picasaweb.go...62/April8201202#

[Sparky the Cuttlefish]

Hmm, still no luck.

It says "Sorry, that page was not found."

[Desertthorn]

I couldn't get on either. Seeing a Condor in Utah would be a real site and they are not listed but as they expand and increase in numbers it wouldn't be unheard of .Keeping my fingers crossed for you. Saw my first turkey vulture today here in Oklahoma today. Amazing site.

[Pat B.]

Seeing a Condor in Utah would be a real site and they are not listed

Actually, that is probably old info. Zion NP is one of the few places where the released Condors hang out. So don't let range considerations stop the ID if the photo is right (I can't see it either).

[Sparky the Cuttlefish]

Quite right, Pat:

http://ebird.org/ebi...r=1900&eyr=2012

[Desertthorn]

LOL, leave it to me to have an old Silbeys

[Desertthorn]

LOL Everytime i post I make an ass out of myselfl. Live and learn. I reallty have learned a great deal from you guys and I appreciated all your help. Thanks so much

[Sparky the Cuttlefish]

LOL Everytime i post I make an ass out of myselfl. Live and learn. I reallty have learned a great deal from you guys and I appreciated all your help. Thanks so much

Haha, don't worry about it, I've been having a lot of ass moments lately myself! We all do, I should think.

[Cari Bear]

Okay, how about now...

https://picasaweb.go...152051951902834

[Sparky the Cuttlefish]

Still no...
Sorry!

[Cari Bear]

https://picasaweb.go...62/April8201202#

https://picasaweb.go...62/April8201203#

How about now? (fingers crossed)

[meghann]

I think it's a turkey vulture.

[Cari Bear]

The turkey vultures we saw were smaller than these birds and had the silvery feathers along the bottom undersides of the wing. Their fingers were also less defined and shorter than the fingers of these birds. It was really windy and the birds were flying REALLY high and were soaring with the wind. So I couldn't get the best pictures, but we'd seen a lot of turkey vultures and these seemed very different from the turkey vultures we saw. What points you towards a turkey vulture?

[Sparky the Cuttlefish]

The first one is definitely a Turkey Vulture - note how the flight feathers are lighter than the underwing coverts (on a Californian Condor it would be the other way around). I'm not 100% sure on the second shot, but if they were circling in the same area as the first bird, they'll be Turkey Vultures too, I think, because you'd notice a HUGE size difference between the first and second birds if you had both species there.

See this shot for reference:

http://www.flickr.co...157622636526492

[meghann]

I'm just basing it on the experience of seeing dozens of turkey vultures every day at my house. I've never seen a condor in person, though, (and I wasn't there so I can't tell scale) so I could be wrong. I also thought condors wings were lightest where they are darkest in your picture.

[BarnSwallow]

Definitely turkey vulture. Has the lighter colored areas under the wing that the juvenile condor just doesn't have. The shape is vey distinctive, too

[NatureLady]

Do you have any other pictures? I'm leaning towards TV also. I don't think the wing pattern matches up to a juv. California Condor.

[NatureLady]

Limkin is that your picture is so nice shot!!!