"Diplomacy is the art of letting somebody else have your way. -David Frost

A real diplomat is one who can cut his neighbour's throat without having his neighbour notice it.-Trygve Lie

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. -Will Rogers

Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions.

Condor is the common name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. The name derives from the Quechua kuntur. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere.

They are:

The Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) which inhabits the Andean mountains.
The California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) currently restricted to the western coastal mountains of the United States and Mexico and the northern desert mountains of Arizona in the United States.

Both condors are very large broad-winged soaring birds, the Andean condor being 5 cm shorter (beak to tail) on average than the northern species, but larger in wingspan. California condors are the largest flying land birds in North America. The Andean condor is second only to the wandering albatross (up to 3.5 m) in terms of wingspan among all living flying birds.

The adult plumage is uniformly black, with the exception of a frill of white feathers nearly surrounding the base of the neck which are meticulously kept clean by the bird. As an adaptation for hygiene, the condor's head and neck have few feathers, which exposes the skin to the sterilizing effects of dehydration and solar ultraviolet light at high altitudes. The head is much flattened above. In the male it is crowned with a caruncle or comb, while the skin of the neck in the male lies in folds, forming a wattle. The skin of the head and neck is capable of flushing noticeably in response to emotional state, which serves to communicate between individuals.[citation needed]


Andean condor soars over southern Peru's Colca Canyon

Immature California condor
The middle toe is greatly elongated, and the hinder one but slightly developed, while the talons of all the toes are comparatively straight and blunt. The feet are thus more adapted to walking as in their relatives the storks[citation needed], and of little use as weapons or organs of prehension as in birds of prey and Old World vultures. The female, contrary to the usual rule among birds of prey, is smaller than the male.

Although the California condor is, from beak to tail, about five cm longer, the Andean condor has a wider wingspan, ranging from 274–310 cm (8.99–10.17 ft)[5] and heavier, reaching up to 11 to 15 kg (24 to 33 lb) for males and 7.5 to 11 kg (17 to 24 lb) for females.[6] Overall length can range from 117 to 135 cm (46 to 53 in) Measurements are usually taken from specimens reared in captivity.

California condors' wingspan measures up to 2.9 m (9.5 ft), and they can weigh up to 10.4 kg (23 lb). The skin on the necks will vary in color, depending on the age of the birds. Adult birds' skin color can range from cream, pink, yellow, or even orange during breeding season."

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