bird · GBIF taxon 2481920
California Condor
Gymnogyps californianusAlso known as California Vulture
With a massive nine-foot wingspan, California condors soar effortlessly on thermal updrafts over rugged canyons and coastal mountains. These majestic scavengers play a vital ecological role by feeding on large mammal carcasses, using their keen eyesight to locate meals from miles away. Highly social and long-lived, they form lifelong breeding pairs and raise a single chick every two years in remote cliff caves.
EndangeredScavengerGlider
- diet
- Carrion, including deer, elk, cattle, and marine mammals
- family
- Cathartidae
- threats
- Lead poisoning from ammunition, microtrash ingestion, habitat loss, and power line collisions
- life Span
- Up to 60 years
CR
Safe to observe from a distance; do not approach nesting sites or perched birds.
- Keep your distance: Maintain a respectful distance of at least 75 yards to avoid disturbing their natural behavior.
- Watch the wings: Look for large, numbered wing tags used by biologists to track individual birds.
- Report sightings: Note the tag number and color to report to local conservation databases.