原版英语RAZ 教案(S) Condors - Giant Birds.pdf
www.readinga-WritingShould scientists capture condors in order to protect them?Write a persuasive essay for or against this idea,using information from the book.ScienceCompare the California condor and the Andean condor.Draw a Venn diagram comparing the two.Include at least three similarities and three differences.ConnectionsGIANTS OF THEANIMAL WORLDVisit www.readinga- for thousands of books and materials.LEVELED BOOK SLEVELED BOOK SWritten by Charlotte Welton Condors:Giant Birds A Reading AZ Level S Leveled BookWord Count:1,028Condors:Giant Birds Condors:Giant Birds www.readinga-adaptationcaptivitycarrioncurrentsdecomposingecosystemspropelrefugeswingspanWords to KnowWritten by Charlotte WeltonWhy are condors well suited to live in areas with elevated landforms?Focus QuestionCondors:Giant Birds Giants of the Animal World Level S Leveled Book Learning AZWritten by Charlotte Welton All rights reserved.www.readinga-Front cover:The Andean Condor is the largest flying bird in the world.Back cover:An Andean condor flies over rocky Chilean cliffs in South America.Title page:An Andean male condor forages for food in South America.Page 3:A rare California condor suns its enormous wings.Photo Credits:Front cover:Murray Cooper/Minden Pictures;back cover:Mircea Bezergheanu/D;cover icon:Elena Belyakova/iStock/Thinkstock;title page:Wayne Lynch/All Canada Photos/Corbis;page 3:Jeff Apoian/Science Source;page 4:syntika/iStock/Thinkstock;page 6(left):Joseph Brandt/AP Images;pages 6(right),8(top);10(right):Tui De Roy/Minden Pictures;page 7:Gabriel Rojo/NPL/Minden Pictures;page 8(bottom):REX USA/Mint Images/Rex;page 9:John Cancalosi/;page 10(left):Windzepher/iStock/Thinkstock;page 11(left):Thomas&Pat Leeson/Science Source;page 11(right):Pavel Bortel/Hemera/Thinkstock;page 12:Jim Clare/NPL/Minden Pictures;page 14:Tom+Pat Leeson/;page 15:John Cancalosi/ CorrelationLEVEL SO3434Fountas&PinnellReading RecoveryDRACondors:Giant Birds Condors:Giant Birds 34How Big Is It?How Big Is It?Table of ContentsMeet the Condor .4Life on Wind and Rock .5Check Out the Condor .10A One-Egg Nest .12Condors in Trouble .13A Truly Giant Bird .15Glossary .16Meet the CondorWeighing over 30 pounds(13.5 kg),an enormous bird lifts off high in the majestic Andes Mountains of South America.Its powerful wings,measuring an amazing 10.5 feet(3.2 m)across,propel the bird to a dizzying height of 15,000 feet(4,600 m).This is the largest flying bird in the worldthe giant Andean condor.As it glides along,it uses its impressive wingspan and extra-keen eyesight to search for food far below.Humanheight:6 feet(1.8 m)weight:175 pounds(79.4 kg)Andean Condorheight:up to 4 feet(1.2 m)wingspan:up to 10.5 feet(3.2 m)weight:up to 33 pounds(15 kg)California Condorheight:up to 4.6 feet(1.4 m)wingspan:up to 9.7 feet(3 m)weight:up to 25 pounds(11 kg)Condors:Giant Birds Level S56Life on Wind and RockAndean condors live in the western parts of South America,and California condors live in the American Southwest.All condors need a wide-open habitat so that when they spot food,they have enough space to fly down with their huge wings and land.Condors also need sufficient wind currents to enable them to climb high and fly long distances.These birds can fly as far as 150 miles(240 km)in one day to find food and may reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour(80 kmph).Some condors live near the sea,and perch high up on cliffs,which provide an excellent view of the shoreline.Most condors,however,live in dry places where they can soar above rocky canyons,deserts,and mountains.Condors prefer to nest on elevated landforms.Lofty nests help keep condor eggs safe from potential predators on the ground.Condors dont use twigs and feathers to make an inviting,cozy nest.Instead,they nest directly on rocky cave floors or jagged outer ledges.Some California condors nest in large holes near the top of the worlds tallest treesthe towering California redwoods.In 2006,California condors(left)were found nesting in the redwoods near Big Sur.Andean condors(right)are named for the Andes Mountains they inhabit.Where Condors LiveWhere Condors LiveCalifornia condor rangeAndean condor rangePACIFIC OCEANPACIFIC OCEANATLANTIC OCEANATLANTIC OCEANNORTH AMERICASOUTH AMERICANevadaCaliforniaUtahArizonaAndes MountainsCondors:Giant Birds Level S78A condor can devour up to 4 pounds (1.8 kg)of food in one day and then go for days without eating.Condors have a special diet that you wouldnt find very tasty.They only eat carriondead and decaying animals.California condors eat small mammals such as rabbits and gophers.However,they prefer to eat larger mammals such as deer and cattle.Condors feeding near the ocean clean the beaches of all kinds of seafood,from small fish to huge whales that have washed ashore.Decomposing animals can be filled with harmful bacteria that can cause disease.Condors,though,have special digestive systems and are not in danger from bacteria.Condors play an important role in nature.They do an expert job of gobbling up rotting flesh and helping to keep ecosystems a little more germ-free.Condors do not have a good sense of smell,but their excellent eyesight is an important tool when hunting for food.They can see their food from very high in the sky.Condors sometimes see other carrion-eating birds circling nearbya sure sign that theyve found food.This sight often leads to a condors next meal.The condor will simply swoop in and eat the food that other birds have found.Normally,condors share their food.This California condor is about to feast on whats left of a humpback whale.Andean condors feast on all kinds of animals,including llamas and alpacas.Sharp,curved beaks help condors tear at flesh.Condors:Giant Birds Level S910Check Out the Condor There are definite similarities between adult male and female California condorsboth have black feathers and fluffy black“collars”or necks.Andean males and females both have black feathers and white necks.Andean males,however,have large,fleshy lumps on their heads called combs.California condors dont have combs,so when deciding which species of bird youre looking at,check for a comb.If its present,its a male Andean condor.male Andean condormale California condorWhat Makes a Condor a Bird?What Makes a Condor a Bird?All birds have a backbone have feathers have wings have a bill lay eggs are warm-bloodedA condors wings can reach as wide as 10.5 feet(3.2 m).A condor has strong legs and wide talons.A condors bill is strong and sharp.A condor has feathers on its body but not on its head.When condors are excited or angry,their heads turn deep pink or orange.Condors:Giant Birds Level S1112All condors have a bald heada very useful adaptation.Being feather-free from the neck up makes grooming simpler for condors,especially after they stick their heads in decaying animals to feed.Condors have hardly any feathers for the messy stuff to stick to.A One-Egg Nest A female condor produces just one egg every two years,so its crucial that the egg be protected.The female and male each sit on the egg,which hatches in about fifty-six days.As the chick matures,its feathers gradually turn from gray to black.The young bird starts to fly when it is around six months old.If theyre lucky,wild condors usually live about sixty years,and condors in zoos or refuges can live for more than seventy-five years.Most animals,including condors,live longer in captivity.In these protected environments,condors are pretty pampered!In the wild,though,condors face many hazards.Sadly,one of the most damaging influences on condors has been human beings.Condors are squeaky-clean birds.After dining,they clean their heads on rocks and tree branches.They also bathe in water and then spend hours smoothing their feathers.Although they look nothing alike,storks are one of the closest relatives of condors.An Andean condor chick waits for its parents to deliver food.Condors:Giant Birds Level S1314Condors in TroubleAndean condors and California condors are endangered.Their numbers are much lower today than they were two hundred years ago.The trouble began when people started moving into areas where condors lived.Many people in North and South America didnt like the big birds,so they shot them.People also didnt like coyotes and wolves,so they left poison out to kill them.When the condors ate the dead animals,they died from the poison,too.Many condors died of lead poisoning,too.They would feast on animals people had shot and sometimes accidentally eat lead bullets.In more recent times,electrical power has also proved a danger to condors.As sharp as condors eyesight is,they cant always see power lines,so they fly into the wires and die.In 1987,California condors were dangerously close to extinctiononly about ten were alive in the wild.Scientists captured the wild birds and brought them to refuges.There,the scientists could protect them and help the birds raise their young.After five years of hard work and dedication,scientists began releasing California condors back into the wild.By May 2013,over 230 California condors were flying free again.Since 1973,similar efforts have been made in South America to save Andean condors.Organizations there have set aside land for condors.Today,their numbers are rising,and its estimated that a few thousand birds live in the wild.These condors have been rescued and released back into the wild.The numbered tags help researchers keep track of the birds.Condors:Giant Birds Level S1516A Truly Giant Bird Can you imagine what it would be like to see such a gigantic bird fly overhead?Its an amazing sight since a condors wingspan measures twice as wide as an eagles and five times as wide as a falcons!Many California condors live in protected reserves,which is one of the only places left where the huge birds fly.Serious dangers remain for condors.But if people continue to protect these giant,high-flying birds and their environments,they will keep us in awe for centuries to come.Glossaryadaptation(n.)a change in an organism or species that allows it to survive better in its environment(p.11)captivity(n.)the state of being confined or without freedom(p.12)carrion(n.)the decaying meat of a dead animal(p.7)currents(n.)air or waters that flow in a certain direction(p.5)decomposing(v.)decaying,rotting,or breaking down into small parts(p.7)ecosystems(n.)communities of living things together with their habitats(p.7)propel(v.)to push somebody or something forward(p.4)refuges(n.)places of safety,comfort,or protection(p.12)wingspan(n.)the distance from tip to tip of a pair of wings(p.4)A rare California condor soars above a canyon in Utah.Condors:Giant Birds Level S
