California Condor

California Condor

About the photographs

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

The largest flying bird in North America, the California Condor is one of the most endangered birds in the world. Rarely flapping, except during takeoff and landing, it is a superb glider that covers enormous distances each day.

Description

• Very large soaring bird.
• Long, broad wings.
• White along front edge of wings.
• Short, broad tail.
• Bare orange head.

• Size: 117-134 cm (46-53 in)
• Wingspan: 277 cm (109 in)
• Weight: 7000-9900 g (247.1-349.47 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike, male slightly larger.

Sound

Hisses and snorts; usually silent.

Conservation Status

Severely endangered. All nine remaining wild condors were captured in 1987. A captive breeding program has been successful in producing young, and condors have been reintroduced into California and Arizona. Wild condors are breeding, but have not yet been successful in producing young surviving to breeding age. Details on the captive breeding and reintroduction project can be found at the Peregrine Fund web site and at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service web site.

Other Names

Condor de Californie (French)
Condor californiano, Buitre (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The California Condor normally dominates other scavengers and usually does not hesitate to take a carcass away from smaller species. The exception is when a Golden Eagle is present. Although the condor weighs about twice as much as an eagle, the superior talons of the eagle command respect.
• The California Condor lays only one egg in a brood. The young is dependent upon the parents for more than one year, and consequently condor pairs usually breed only in every other year.

• Young condors do not breed until they are six to eight years old, about the time they acquire full adult coloration.

Sources used to construct this page:

Snyder, N. F. R., and N. J. Schmitt. 2002. California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus). In The Birds of North America, No. 610 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.