The California Condor is one of the rarest and most special of American birds. It is a New World vulture and the largest land bird in North America. It went extinct in the wild in 1987 when all the remaining wild individuals were captured for an ambitious breeding program to protect them from imminent extinction.
Today these magnificent birds have been reintroduced into the wild. America is one of the best countries in the world for wildlife tourism and the condor is just of the many special native animals that can be found in the United States.
Why The California Condor Is Unique And Special
The California Condor grows to have a wingspan of 9.8 feet or 3 meters - the widest of any North American bird. It is also hefty for a flying bird weighing up to 26 lb or 12 kilograms - nearly the same as a trumpeter swan - and is the heaviest of native North American birds.
- Lifespan: Up To 60 Years - One of The World's Longest Living Birds
- Ceiling: The California Condor Can Glide To As High As 15,000 Feet
As well as being a special sight to hikers today, the Condors were considered sacred birds to the Native Americans who lived in the open spaces of the American West.
The fossil record shows that these magnificent vultures once ranged as far as Florida and New York. They are believed they be something of an evolutionary anachronism. They evolved to grow large because they would feed on the great prehistoric herds that formerly roamed the continent.
But as the herds when extinct (mammoths, horses, etc) so did they. In modern times their range had shrunk to mostly central southern California deserts and places in Arizona, Utah, and Mexico.
Driven To Near Extinction
In the 20th century, their populations plummeted as they were driven to the edge of extinction by DDT poisoning, poaching, lead poisoning, and habitat destruction. By 1987 there were only 27 wild condors left.
- Listed: Listed by the IUCN As Critically Endangered
When their wild population had dropped to only 10 birds, they were captured to be bred - making only 27 birds total in the world. They were all captured and bred at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and the Los Angeles Zoo.
- Near Extinction: Their Population Dropped To 27 Birds In 1987
- Lead Poisoning: They Were Accidentally Ingesting Fragment of Lead-Based Ammunition As they Scavenged Hunted Animals
- Banning Lead: Since 2019 The Use of Lead Ammunition Has Been Banned In California
- Pesticides: Pesticides Thinned Their Already Fragile Egg Shells
Back From The Brink
Through carefully managed captive breeding their numbers rose and beginning in 1991 they were reintroduced into the wild. Since then their population has continued to grow but they remain one of the rarest birds in the world with a population of 518 in the wild and captivity in 2019.
- Population: 518 Total Population In 2019
- Current Population Trend: Increasing
One of the problems is that California condors mature and reproduce slowly. They only between when they are between six and eight years old and the female only lays one egg every two years. That being said if the egg is removed she will lay a second or third egg. Knowing this conservationists began collecting eggs for captive incubation.
Fortunately, the breeding programs have proven remarkably successful.
Behavior And Where To See Them
Like vultures, the condors scavenge on the carcasses of large mammals they find. When they do find it, they may gorge themselves so much that they must rest for several hours before being able to fly again.
- Scientific Name: Gymnogyps californianus
- Diet: The Condor Is A Scavenger Eating Large Amounts of Carrion
While they spend a lot of time in search of food, they spend most of their time preening, sunning, and grooming in their roost.
Today the condors can be found in northern Arizona and southern Utah (including the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park - Zion is one of the best places to see wildlife), as well as the coastal mountains of central and southern California and northern Baja California in Mexico.
- In The Wild: Found In The Grand Canyon, Zion, Parts of California, and Baja California in Mexico
The first wild nesting in the Grand Canyon National Park since their re-introduction occurred in 2001. By 2008 for the first time since the program began, there were more California condors flying in the wild than in captivity.
One can read about their reintroduction on the National Park Service's website. The National Park Service also has a full explanation of the condor's threats, threats, condors in prehistory, and condor Ranger educational programs.
They are all numbered and are carefully monitored. Hopefully, their populations will continue to bounce back from the brink.