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condor vs. vulture

condor vs. vulture: What's the difference?

Condor refers to the largest type of vulture. A vulture is a large, carrion-eating bird of prey, often with no feathers on its head. Many non-condor vultures belong to the family Accipitridae, so vulture without further modification often refers to a member of this family. There are only two species of condor: the Califorian condor and the Andean condor, both in the family Cathartidae and both endangered.

condor

[ kon-der, -dawr ]
noun
  1. either of two large, New World vultures of the family Cathartidae, Gymnogyps californianus(California condor ) or Vultur gryphus(Andean condor ), the largest flying birds in the Western Hemisphere: the California condor is almost extinct; the Andean condor is greatly reduced in number and rare in many areas.
  2. a former coin of Chile equal to 10 pesos.
  3. a former coin of Ecuador equal to 10 sucres.

vulture

[ vuhl-cher ]
noun
  1. any of several large, primarily carrion-eating Old World birds of prey of the family Accipitridae, often having a naked head and less powerful feet than those of the related hawks and eagles.
  2. any of several superficially similar New World birds of the family Cathartidae, as the turkey vulture.
  3. a person or thing that preys, especially greedily or unscrupulously: That vulture would sell out his best friend.