REPRODUCTIVE-BEHAVIOR IN CAPTIVE CALIFORNIA CONDORS (GYMNOGYPS CALIFORNIANUS)

From the fall of 1987 to the spring of 1994, data on reproductive beha vior were collected on seven different pairs of California condors (Gy mnogyps californianus) housed at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Behav ioral data were collected from videotaped activities in their flight p ens. Behaviors for this report include male and female displays and in complete and complete copulations. Data on the time it took for female s to recycle and lay another egg after egg removal were acquired from the California Condor Studbook. Male display rates were significantly higher than female rates throughout the breeding season. Males began d isplaying 52-132 days before the start of copulations. Copulations slo wly increased from Day -51 and peaked similar to Day -8, prior to egg laying. Female display rates were significantly more frequent at the e nd of the season after the last egg was laid. An average of 26.8 (+/-3 .1 SEM) copulations occurred prior to egg laying. Copulations occurred throughout the day, with the higher mean percentages occurring betwee n 0700 and 0900 hours. After egg removal, the interval between laying of the first and second eggs and between the second and third eggs had a mean of 34.1 (+/-10.1 SD) days. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.