DirkWill Loc: Albuquerque, New Mexico

The first three correct answers can feel very good about themselves...

Ched49 Loc: Pittsburgh, Pa.

That buzzard looks like it has machine gun ports in it's wings.

Arcadia1969 Loc: Tucson, Arizona

California Condor.

CaptainBobBrown

Wow. Where did you see this bird. See p. 268 of Nat Geo Field Guide to North American Birds. It looks like a California Condor which was close to extinct in 1987 when the last two in the wild were captured for breeding in hopes of restoration to their natural habitats. Reintroduction began in 1992 and now some are found in CA, northern AZ, southern UT, and Baja.

DirkWill Loc: Albuquerque, New Mexico

HoooRaaa! The prize goes to Arcadia1969, and CaptainBobBrown!Lousy photographs, but they were soaring so high sharp wasn’t an option. We spent almost a day hunting for them, finally found them but for hours they were just specks in the sky. 5 minutes before we had to leave, 6 or 7 dropped down to distance where I at least got these. It was in Arizona near Rainbow Bridge over the Colorado River. Made the trip!!

DirkWill Loc: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Sorry, correction, that should be Navajo Bridge over the Colorado River near Lees Landing. We went to a condor presentation at the Grand Canyon and here’s what they told us: the California Condor is very rare and can have a wing span of 9 feet. In 1982 they captured 22 birds that they believed were the last condors on the earth for a captive breeding program. In the wild a female condor will only lay one egg every two years but when they took an egg away for incubation she would lay another one and even another one after that without the need for fertilization. This is called double or triple clutching. Now it is believed that there are about 500 Condors in the world. Apparently having a bald head like a vulture is cleaner when they go down in the dead animal to eat the carrion that is their only food. Unfortunately they sometimes ingest pieces of ammunition that gives them lead poisoning. When scientists see that a Condor is not moving, (most of them have tracking devices) they capture it, remove the lead, and perform dialysis before returning it to the wild! Oh...and they also intentionally poop on their feet for evaporative cooling purposes!

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

rich1hart Loc: Chicago suburbs

We were told that the Najavo Bridge is where they release them, not at the Grand Canyon. Here's a not too good shot I took from the bridge with my Nikon D70 and 70mm lens some years ago.

WDCash Loc: Milford, Delaware, USA

These are great. You worked ,waited long, for these. Congratulations

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

I didn't know there were any scientists left that pooped on their feet for cooling off or for any other reason. I thought those guys were extinct long ago. I mean...where would they find a mate?

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

We were at a condor presentation by one of the rangers at the south rim of the Grand Canyon. As he was speaking one of the condors came floating up the side of the canyon and floated right over us.

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

Well, I wasn't the first, but I immediately though California Condor.

NotAnselAdams Loc: Pueblo, CO

Twenty (20) mike mike I think.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Sorry, I'm coming to this post a bit late. As soon as I saw your pix I figured they were California Condors. I actually a familiar with them for three or more reasons. 1. I live in Southern California. 2. A close friend of mine was interested in them and used to "bird" near where the last few lived in the wild before they were captured. 3. my Mother-In-Law live not too far from one of their breeding areas in the Los Padres National Forrest in the Sespe Condor Sanctuary north of Fillmore, CA. 4. My degree in in Biology and I have been an avid birder over many years. And I am pretty sure I've too seen Ca. Condors in the wild.

But what are those odd areas on their wings? Leg tags I would understand, but "motors" on their wings (elbows)? What?

DirkWill Loc: Albuquerque, New Mexico

They are numbering and tracking devices. In some photos (not posted) the numbers are clearly seen, and I believe each and every one has a tracking device.