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The Andean condor (''Vultur gryphus'') is a South American bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae and is the only member of the genus ''Vultur''. Found in the Andes mountains and adjacent Pacific coasts of western South America, the Andean condor has a maximum wingspan of 〔(Andean Condors, Andean Condor Pictures, Andean Condor Facts – National Geographic ). Animals.nationalgeographic.com (2012-12-13). Retrieved on 2012-12-19.〕 exceeded only by the wingspans of four seabirds/water birds—the roughly maximum of the wandering albatross, southern royal albatross, great white pelican and Dalmatian pelican. It is a large black vulture with a ruff of white feathers surrounding the base of the neck and, especially in the male, large white patches on the wings. The head and neck are nearly featherless, and are a dull red color, which may flush and therefore change color in response to the bird's emotional state. In the male, there is a wattle on the neck and a large, dark red comb or caruncle on the crown of the head. Unlike most birds of prey, the male is larger than the female. The condor is 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 , 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 over 70 years in some cases. The Andean condor is a national symbol of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru 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. ==Taxonomy and systematics== The Andean condor was described by Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his ''Systema Naturae'' and retains its original binomial name of ''Vultur gryphus''.〔 〕 The Andean condor is sometimes called the Argentinean condor, Bolivian condor, Chilean condor, Colombian condor, Ecuadorian condor, or Peruvian condor after one of the nations to which it is native. The generic term ''Vultur'' is directly taken from the Latin ''vultur'' or ''voltur'', which means "vulture". Its specific epithet is derived from a variant of the Greek word γρυπός (''grupós'', "hook-nosed"). The word condor itself is derived from the Quechua ''kuntur''.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=A Quechua metaphor for a plane: Kuntur-man = "looking like a Condor" )〕 The exact taxonomic placement of the Andean condor and the remaining six species of New World vultures remains unclear.〔 Though both are similar in appearance and have similar ecological roles, the New World and Old World vultures evolved from different ancestors in different parts of the world and are not closely related. Just how different the two families 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. Retrieved 2007-04-11.〕 More recent authorities maintain their overall position in the order Falconiformes along with the Old World vultures〔 or place them in their own order, Cathartiformes. The South American Classification Committee has removed the New World vultures from Ciconiiformes and instead described them as ''incertae sedis'', but notes that a move to Falconiformes or Cathartiformes is possible.〔Remsen, J. V., Jr.; Cadena, C. D.; Jaramillo, A.; Nores, M.; Pacheco, J. F.; Robbins, M. B.; Schulenberg, T. S.; Stiles, F. G.; Stotz, D. F. and Zimmer, K. J. (2007). (''A classification of the bird species of South America.'' ) South American Classification Committee. Retrieved on 2007-10-15〕 The Andean condor is the only accepted living species of its genus, ''Vultur''.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 publisher = Integrated Taxonomic Information System )〕 Unlike the California condor (''Gymnogyps californianus''), which is known from extensive fossil remains and some additional ones of congeners, the fossil record of the Andean condor recovered to date is scant. Presumed Plio-Pleistocene species of South American condors were later recognized to be not different from the present species, although one known only from a few rather small bones found in a Pliocene deposit of Tarija Department, Bolivia, may have been a smaller palaeosubspecies, ''V. gryphus patruus''. 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「Andean condor」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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