PAPER Topics

Start of Term Paper
California s are the largest birds in North America. They may weigh up to 25 pounds and have wingspans of 9 1/2 feet. California s have bare heads and necks, dull gray-black feathers, and blunt claws. They have a triangle-shaped patch of white, ....

Middle of Term Paper
... s are carrion-eaters. They prefer large dead animals like deer, cattle, and sheep, but will also eat rodents and more rarely, fish. If a meal has been particularly big, they may have to spend hours on the ground or a low branch before they can take off again. s are fastidious birds -- after eating, they clean their heads and necks by rubbing them on grass, rocks, or tree branches. s also bathe frequently and spend hours preening and drying their feathers. s were probably never very numerous in North America. The species once ranged along the entire Pacific Coast from British Columbia to Baja California. Fossils have been found as far eas ...