Gymnogyps californianus
California Condor
The California Condor is a huge bird with a nearly featherless, reddish-orange head and neck. Its body is covered in black feathers, with distinctive white triangular patches under its wings visible during flight.
Both males and females share similar appearances, with no significant sexual dimorphism. Juveniles can be distinguished by their darker heads and lack of white underwing patches until they reach maturity at about 5-6 years old.
Length
109cm to 140cm
Wingspan
270cm to 300cm
Weight
7.7kg to 14kg
Males and females have similar plumage
Primary Colour
Black
Secondary Colour
White Pink
Beak Colour
Ivory
Leg Colour
Grey
Woodland
Garden
Wetland
Coastal
Urban
Farmland
Grassland
Desert
Tundra
Rainforest
Mountain
Savanna
California Condors inhabit rugged, open country, including mountains, canyons, and coastal areas. They require vast territories with suitable nesting sites in caves or on cliff faces, as well as open areas for foraging.
Once widespread across North America, their current range is limited to parts of California, Arizona, Utah, and Baja California, Mexico. Reintroduction efforts continue to expand their distribution within these regions.
Up to 2,000 meters
Mediterranean, Semi-arid
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California Condors are obligate scavengers, feeding primarily on large mammal carcasses such as deer, cattle, and marine mammals. They locate food by sight and can travel up to 150 miles daily searching for carrion.
Their strong beaks and digestive systems allow them to consume and process tough animal tissues and bones.
California Condors are highly social, often feeding in groups and engaging in communal roosting. They spend hours soaring on thermal updrafts, covering vast distances in search of carrion.
These birds exhibit unique 'urohydrosis,' where they urinate on their legs to cool themselves and disinfect their feet after walking through carcasses.
California Condors form long-term pair bonds and typically breed every other year. Courtship involves aerial displays and mutual preening, usually beginning in late fall or early winter.
Nests are minimal, often located in caves or on cliff ledges. Females lay a single egg, which is pale blue-green in color. Both parents share incubation duties.
The incubation period lasts about 56-58 days. Chicks remain in the nest for 5-6 months before fledging and continue to depend on their parents for up to a year after leaving the nest.
The California Condor typically lives for 45 to 60 years, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 45 years.
Like all birds, lifespan can be affected by factors including predation, habitat quality, disease, and access to food sources.
The California Condor remains critically endangered due to lead poisoning, habitat loss, and human disturbance.
Intensive captive breeding and reintroduction programs have brought the species back from the brink of extinction, with continued efforts focusing on expanding their range and reducing threats in the wild.
Condor, California Vulture, Thunderbird
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website: BirdLife International. 2020. Gymnogyps californianus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T22697636A181151405.
View sourcewebsite, 2022: Partners in Flight
View sourcewebsite, 2000: Carey and Judge, Longevity Records: Life Spans of Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles, and Fish
View source