Differences between Condor and Stork

Condor and Stork are two classes of birds that belong to the Cathartidae and Ciconiidae families respectively.

Condor includes two species of New World Vultures, namely, the Andean Condor and the California Condor. They are one of the largest flying birds in the world. The Andean Condor is characterized by black feathers with white patches at the tip of wings. Its neck is covered with white fur, while the head is red and bald. The bird’s talons are straight and blunt and its beak is curved. The California Condor is generally black with white patches below the wings. The neck and head are yellowish orange without any feathers. These birds do not have talons and the backward toe for grasping. The beak is hooked and has an egg tooth.

Stork is a large wading bird with long legs and long beak. Its beak and legs are usually red in color, while its eyes are grey. The color of its body could be streaks of white, black, and red depending on the geography. The bird’s head and upper neck are usually not covered with feathers. The Stork is almost mute as it has an undeveloped syrinx. The Stork family consists of about 20 species of birds such as Marabou Stork and Adjutant Stork. The family is related to Herons, Ibises, and Flamingos.

Where are Condor and Stork found?

Andean Condors are found in mountains, deserts, and coasts. They exist in Andes mountains and parts of western South America. On the other hand, California Condors live in rocky shrubs and coniferous forests. They can be found in southern parts of Californian deserts besides Mexico, Utah, and Arizona.

Storks choose to live near marshes, grasslands, meadows, rivers, ponds, and lakes. They are not prevalent across the world. They exist chiefly in Asia, Africa, and Europe. One bird from their species can be found in Australia, while three others occur around Argentina and Florida.

What do Condor and Stork eat?

Andean Condors and California Condors are both carnivores and scavengers. They eat dead deer, sheep, pigs, cows, and other large mammals. On rare occasions they hunt small creatures like rodents, rabbits, and small reptiles.

Storks are carnivores that mainly eat fish. They also feed on reptiles, insects, amphibians, mice, worms, mollusks, crustaceans, and even small alligators. They generally capture their prey in fields and shallow waters.

Here are a few pointers about the eating patterns between Condor and Stork

• Both Condor and Stork eat Fish.
• Both Condor and Stork eat Frogs.
• Both Condor and Stork eat Lizards.
• Both Condor and Stork eat Snakes.
• Both Condor and Stork eat Turtles.
• Both Condor and Stork eat Squirrels.
• Gophers are commonly eaten by Condor, but not by all Stork.
• Baby Ducks are consumed by both Condorand Stork.
• Mice are eaten by both Condor and Stork.

Size of Condor and Stork?

When it comes to size, Andean Condors are one of the largest flying birds in the world with a height of nearly four feet and a wingspan of 10 feet. California Condors are nearly as large with a height of 3.5-4.5 feet and a wingspan of about 9.8 feet. They are the largest flying birds in North America.. Storks are huge birds. They are about two to five feet tall with wide wings that measure over 10 feet. The biggest storks in the world are the Shoebill and Marabou that stand five feet tall.

Condors are also huge in terms of weight. Andean Condors weigh 16.9-33 pounds. Meanwhile, the average weight of California Condors is 18-20 pounds. while Average weight of Storks is 3-17 pounds depending on the species. Marabou is the largest species and weighs around 17 pounds.

Where do Condor and Stork nest?

Andean Condors make their nests with sticks on safe rims of rocks or ledges of cliffs in higher elevation. Their eggs are bluish white with a weight of 9.9 ounces. Both partners take turns to incubate the eggs for 58-60 days. The chicks fledge at around six months but continue to be under the care of their parents for 10 months to two years. California Condors use mountain caves or tree cavities to lay eggs. They surround the eggs with gravel, sticks, or bones. The eggs are bluish green in color and weigh 10 ounces. Both male and female share duties of incubating and nesting the young ones. The eggs hatch after 53-60 days. The young ones fledge in about four months but remain with the parents for a year.

Storks build their nests on trees and shrubs that stand in flooded water. They do so to keep predators away from eating the eggs. Both male and female birds participate in the construction of the nest, besides sharing the responsibility to incubate them for about five weeks, after which the eggs hatch. Baby Storks usually fledge 50-65 days after hatching. An interesting fact about parenting in Storks is that the parents sometimes throw some chicks out of the nests so that they can feed the healthy chicks well and support their survival.

How long do Condor and Stork live?

Both species of Condors have a long lifespan. Andean Condors live up to 50 years in the wild. The oldest lived bird died at 80 years in January 2010 at the Beardsley Zoo in USA. California Condors have an average lifespan of 60 years. Of the living California Condors, the oldest is a male that hatched in April 1966.

Storks can live for over 30 years in the wild. They have been known to live up to 35 years in captivity. The longest living species was a White Stork that lived for 39 years in Switzerland.

Are Condor or Stork migratory birds?

Andean Condors and California Condors are not typical migratory birds although they fly long distances. They do not travel in search of new habitats, instead travel nearly 125 miles a day looking for food.

Storks migrate during winters to warmer regions as they cannot find food in colder weather. They are known to migrate long distances, for instance from Europe to Africa, sub-Saharan region to South Africa or India. They mostly migrate in huge groups.

Do Condor and Stork fly in flocks?

A group of Condors is called a Condo. Andean Condors are mostly solitary. They live in small groups of three or four having both male and female birds. They may roost in colonies. Contrastingly, California Condors are more social. They spend time with their groups and also follow a social hierarchy. They eat together but following a pecking order.

A group of Storks is known as a muster of Storks or a phalanx of Storks. These birds are highly sociable. They stay together and migrate in massive flocks that can even encompass a thousand birds. However, during the breeding season they prefer smaller groups or solitude.

Are Condor or Stork protected?

Both Condor species are protected by law in the USA. They are categorized under the Endangered Species Act, under which harming or killing them is punishable.

Storks are a protected species in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Conservation laws like the African Conservation Action Plan and the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement have come up in response to concerns of the International Union for Conservation of Nature that the Black Storks are not protected satisfactorily.

Are Condor or Stork endangered?

Andean Condors are listed as threatened. They are extinct in Venezuela. Their population is under threat because of hunting by farmers to save their livestock and poisoning from pesticides. They also face danger from electrocution, eating trash, and exposure to pesticides. California Condors are listed as critically endangered. Only a few hundreds of them are remaining but their numbers are increasing due to captive breeding. These birds are being reinstated into the wild.

Storks are extant birds. They had become extinct in the UK about 500 years back but emerged back in the 1970s. They have however become extinct in Japan, Korea, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. The Adjutant Stork is endangered in India and Cambodia, and the Painted Stork is critically endangered in parts of Asia. Very few Storks are also left in Italy due to widespread poaching.

Can Condor and Stork fly?

The Condor species fly by using thermals and flap their wings as infrequently as once an hour. Owing to their large size, they prefer to fly in windy regions. They can reach flying speeds of 55 miles an hour and soar at altitudes of 15,000 feet.

Storks fly with their neck and legs stretched out. They flap and soar with their broad wings, using thermal air currents. They can reach altitudes of 1,500 metres above sea level and touch speeds of over 110 miles per hour. During migration, they fly nearly 4,400 miles.

Can Condor and Stork swim?

Condors are not built to swim. They are not water birds. They are huge and fly in search of food.

Storks are not swimmers. They do not prefer deep waters and usually choose shallow waters for their habitat.

Mating patterns among Condor and Stork

Andean Condors reach sexual maturity when they turn five or six years. They have the longest breeding cycle among all birds in the world. They reproduce during alternate years. During courtship, the male’s neck changes color to bright yellow. He hisses and coos while dancing and hopping around the female with his wings partly spread out. The partners share a close bonding and raise the young ones jointly for a year. California Condors start mating when they are six to eight years old. They lay one egg every two years. Courtship will include the male performing displays, extending his wings, and dancing by moving his legs. The female also performs displays with her wings. The partners share the responsibility of incubating and tending to the young ones. The female California Condors are known to be able to reproduce asexually without mating.

Storks start breeding when they are about four years old. The male bird is the first one to arrive at the nesting site. He initiates by building a nest or revamping an existing one and ducking on it. The male and female engage in elaborate mating dances. They raise a single brood each year, which consists of two to five eggs.

When is the mating season for Condor and Stork ?

Andean Condors mate during February-June. In the case of California Condors, the mating season is from December to April.

The breeding season for Storks is generally the spring. This is usually from the start of February till the end of April.

Do Condor and Stork mate for life?

Both Condor species are monogamous and mate for life. They also live with their offspring for longer than most other birds.

Storks are known to be monogamous and faithful to their partners during every breeding season and even for a few years. They may find new partners during migrations or in consecutive breeding seasons. In case of monogamous partners, they generally revisit their nesting site and use the same nests with little restoration.

How do Condor and Stork sleep?

Andean Condors and California Condors roost in groups on elevated cliffs or tall trees to keep themselves safe from predators on the ground. They however sleep near their nests during the breeding season.

Storks roost in colonies. They sleep on trees and shrubs surrounded by water. Some storks even sleep standing on one leg in water.

Can Condor and Stork be eaten?

Humans are not known to consume Condor meat. As these birds are scavengers, it is not healthy to eat them. Further, modern laws do not permit killing of Condors.

Storks are edible and some people do eat them. However, the bird is protected, and it is illegal to kill them for food.

Can you hunt Condor or Stork?

Reduction in the population of California Condors has chiefly been attributed to hunting by farmers who killed the birds to save their livestock. Farmers have also killed Andean Condors. Therefore, to save these species that are endangered, laws have been introduced prohibiting any kind of harming or killing.

Thousands of White Storks lose their lives every year due to illegal hunting for sport, especially in Lebanon and Italy. The birds are also shot for their meat. All this is despite existence of laws to protect the bird.

Can you feed Condor or Stork?

Condors are protected in captivity and at breeding centers to save them from extinction. Here, the birds are fed meat, rodents, chicken, and fish.

Feeding wild animals and birds in public places is not permitted in places like USA, Singapore, and Dubai. Storks are huge birds and need to be fed a lot of food. In captivity, these birds are fed with fish, frogs, small birds, earthworms, lizards, and meat.