these birds are so massive that they prefer to inhabit moutainous or ocean regions with strong winds so that they can glide more easily. i'm talking thirty pounds with a near eleven foot wing span. huge. they're actually vultures (strange nomenclature in my mind) and as such feed on dead stuff, sorry, carrion. males have these offshoots from their snouts/beak called a caruncle - another interesting word. both males and females are bald and have white collars though these are more prevalent in males. i didn't know that these birds are the national symbols for argentina, bolivia, chile, colombia, ecuador and peru. it's interesting to me that these birds feed on the dead yet in andean mythology the birds are associated with a sun deity, essentially as ruler of the upper world, and are a symbol of health and power. andean condors in moleskine.
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