The California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is a type of vulture and the largest bird found in North America. It disappeared from the wild in 1987 when all remaining wild birds were captured, but it has been reintroduced to areas in northern Arizona, southern Utah (including the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park), the coastal mountains of California, and northern Baja California in Mexico. It is the only living bird in the genus Gymnogyps, though four other species from the same genus are now extinct. Scientists classify the condor as critically endangered, and it is also considered critically imperiled by NatureServe.

The condor has black feathers with white patches on the bottom of its wings. Its head is mostly bald, with skin that is gray in young birds and turns yellow or bright orange in adult birds during breeding season. Its wingspan is about 9.8 feet, the widest of any North American bird, and it can weigh up to 26 pounds, nearly as much as the trumpeter swan, the heaviest bird in North America. The condor eats dead animals, or carrion, and can live up to 60 years, making it one of the longest-living birds in the world.

The number of condors dropped sharply in the 20th century because of chemicals used in farming, such as DDT, hunting, lead poisoning from bullets, and loss of habitat. In 1987, the U.S. government captured the last remaining wild condors, which totaled 27 birds. These birds were bred in captivity at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and the Los Angeles Zoo. Their numbers increased through breeding programs, and they were released back into the wild starting in 1991. Their population has grown since then, but the California condor is still one of the rarest birds on Earth. As of December 2025, the total population was 607. The condor holds cultural importance for many Native American groups in California and appears in their traditional stories.

Taxonomy

The California condor was first described by English naturalist George Shaw in 1797 as Vultur californianus. Archibald Menzies collected the type specimen "from the coast of California" during the Vancouver Expedition. At first, it was grouped in the same genus as the Andean condor (V. gryphus). However, because the Andean condor has slightly different markings, longer wings, and a habit of killing small animals for food, the California condor was later placed in its own genus. This genus, Gymnogyps, comes from the Greek words gymnos ("naked" or "bare") and gyps ("vulture"). The species name californianus refers to its location in California. The word "condor" comes from the Quechua word kuntur.

The exact taxonomic placement of the California condor and the other six species of New World vultures is still uncertain. These birds look and act similarly to Old World vultures, but they evolved from a different ancestor in a different part of the world. Scientists debate how different the two groups are. Some older studies suggested New World vultures are closely related to storks, while more recent studies place them in the order Falconiformes with Old World vultures or in their own order, Cathartiformes. The South American Classification Committee has removed New World vultures from the order Ciconiiformes and placed them in Incertae sedis, noting that they might belong to Falconiformes or Cathartiformes.

According to the 51st Supplement (2010) of the American Ornithologists' Union, the California condor is in the family Cathartidae of the order Cathartiformes.

The genus Gymnogyps is an example of a relict distribution. During the Pleistocene Epoch, this genus was widespread across the Americas. Fossils of Gymnogyps kofordi from the Early Pleistocene in Florida and Gymnogyps howardae from the Late Pleistocene in Peru have been found. A condor discovered in Late Pleistocene deposits on Cuba was first called Antillovultur varonai but is now recognized as Gymnogyps varonai. This bird may have come from a small group of California condors that migrated to Cuba.

The California condor is the only living member of Gymnogyps and has no accepted subspecies. However, a Late Pleistocene form, sometimes called the paleosubspecies Gymnogyps californianus amplus, is sometimes considered a separate species, Gymnogyps amplus. This bird lived in much of the condor's historical range, including Florida, and was larger, about the same size as the Andean condor. It also had a wider beak. As the climate changed during the last ice age, the entire population may have become smaller over time, evolving into the modern Gymnogyps californianus. However, recent studies by Syverson question this idea.

Description

The adult California condor is mostly black, except for large white triangular areas on the underside of its wings. It has gray legs and feet, a pale yellow beak, a black feather collar around the neck, and brownish-red eyes. The juvenile bird is mostly dark brown with black coloring on the head and has gray patches instead of white on the underside of its wings.

The condor’s head has very few feathers, which helps keep it clean when eating dead animals. The skin on the head and neck can change color depending on the bird’s emotions, ranging from yellowish to bright reddish-orange. These birds do not make complex sounds with their voices. They can only make a few hissing or grunting noises, which are only heard when very close.

Female condors are smaller than males, which is unusual for birds of prey. The overall length of a condor ranges from 109 to 140 cm (43 to 55 in), and its wingspan ranges from 2.49 to 3 m (8 ft 2 in to 9 ft 10 in). Their weight ranges from 7 to 14.1 kg (15 to 31 lb), with an average weight of 8 to 9 kg (18 to 20 lb). Some condors have wingspans as long as 3.4 m (11 ft), but no wingspan longer than 3.05 m (10 ft) has been confirmed. Most measurements come from condors raised in captivity, making it hard to know if wild condors differ in size.

The California condor has the largest wingspan of any North American bird. Only the trumpeter swan and the mute swan (which were brought to North America) are larger in body length and weight. The American white pelican and whooping crane also have longer bodies than the condor. Because condors are so large, they can sometimes be mistaken for a small airplane far away, which may happen more often than being confused with other birds.

The middle toe on the condor’s foot is much longer than the others, and the back toe is only slightly developed. All toes have straight, blunt claws that are better for walking than gripping. This feature is more similar to storks than to birds of prey or Old World vultures, which use their feet for catching or holding prey.

Historic range

At the time humans first settled in the Americas, the California condor lived across much of North America. Scientists have found condor bones from the late Pleistocene era at the Cutler Fossil Site in southern Florida. However, when the last ice age ended, many large animals went extinct, which caused the California condor’s range and numbers to shrink. Five hundred years ago, the bird lived in the American Southwest and along the West Coast. Bones and other remains of condors have been found in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas. The Lewis and Clark Expedition in the early 1800s recorded seeing and shooting California condors near the mouth of the Columbia River.

In the 1970s, two Condor Observation Sites were created in the Santa Clara River Valley to allow people interested in seeing the endangered species to observe them. One site was about 15 miles north of Fillmore, California, near the Sespe Wildlife Area in Los Padres National Forest. The other was on Mount Pinos, which is reachable via a dirt road off the highway near Gorman.

Habitat

The California condor lives in rocky shrubland, coniferous forest, and oak savanna. These birds often stay near cliffs or large trees, which they use to build nests. Each bird travels over a large area and may fly as far as 250 km (160 mi) to find dead animals to eat.

Two sanctuaries were selected because they have the best habitat for condors to nest: the Sisquoc Condor Sanctuary in the San Rafael Wilderness and the Sespe Condor Sanctuary in the Los Padres National Forest.

The Los Padres Condor Range and River Protection Act of 1992 added 34,200 hectares (84,400 acres) to existing wilderness areas and set aside 127,900 hectares (316,050 acres) as new wilderness to help provide habitat for condors in the Los Padres region.

Ecology and behavior

The California condor has strong flight muscles that are not attached to a large sternum, which limits their ability to fly actively. These birds flap their wings to take off from the ground but glide for long distances once they reach a certain height, often without flapping again. They can fly as fast as 90 km/h (56 mph) and reach heights of up to 4,600 m (15,100 ft). They prefer to rest on high places where they can take off with little effort. These birds often soar near rock cliffs, using rising warm air called thermals to stay in the sky.

California condors can live up to 60 years. If they survive to adulthood, their main threats come from humans, not other animals. They lack a syrinx, which means they can only make sounds like grunts and hisses. They bathe often and spend time grooming their feathers. To cool their bodies, they sometimes defecate on their legs, a process called urohidrosis. Condors have a social structure where groups establish a hierarchy based on body language, play behavior, and sounds like hisses and grunts. This hierarchy is especially clear during feeding, with dominant birds eating first.

Condors begin searching for mates at age 6. During courtship, the male turns his head red, puffs out his neck feathers, spreads his wings, and slowly approaches the female. If the female lowers her head, they become lifelong mates. They build simple nests in caves or cliff crevices, often near trees and open areas. A female lays one bluish-white egg every other year, usually between January and April. The egg weighs about 280 grams (10 oz) and measures 90 to 120 mm (3.5 to 4.7 in) in length and 67 mm (2.6 in) in width. If the egg or chick is lost, the parents may lay another egg to replace it. Researchers sometimes take the first egg to encourage the parents to lay a second or third egg, which they may raise.

The egg hatches after 53 to 60 days of incubation by both parents. Chicks are born with open eyes and may take up to a week to fully leave the shell. They are covered in grayish feathers until they grow close in size to their parents. They can fly after 5 to 6 months but stay with their parents for about two years. Ravens are the main threat to condor eggs, while golden eagles and bears may harm young condors.

In 2021, the San Diego Zoo reported that two unfertilized eggs hatched in 2001 and 2009 through a process called parthenogenesis, where an egg develops without fertilization. Genetic studies showed these chicks had only maternal DNA, indicating the process involved mechanisms like gametic fusion or endomitosis. These chicks did not survive to adulthood, so their reproductive potential could not be studied.

In July 2024, the LA Zoo announced that 17 California condor chicks hatched during the year’s breeding season, a record attributed to new breeding techniques. The method involves placing 2 to 3 chicks with a single adult condor who raises them. All 17 chicks will be released into the wild due to the species’ endangered status.

Wild condors travel up to 250 km (160 mi) daily searching for food. Historically, they fed on large extinct animals called Pleistocene megafauna. Today, they prefer large mammal carcasses like deer, goats, sheep, and cattle. They may also eat smaller mammals, aquatic animals, or birds, though they rarely consume reptile or bird carcasses. Condors prefer fresh food but will eat decaying meat if needed. They rely on sight, not smell, to find food by observing other scavengers like eagles and vultures. They often drive away smaller scavengers but avoid conflicts with bears and golden eagles. In the wild, they eat infrequently, sometimes going days or weeks without food, then consuming 1–1.5 kg (2.2–3.3 lb) of meat at once.

Conservation

The California condor conservation project is one of the most expensive in U.S. history. It has cost more than $35 million since World War II, with $20 million coming from federal and state funding. By 2007, the program cost about $2 million each year. Reintroducing captive-bred condors into the wild is a complex process that requires regularly capturing birds to test for lead poisoning and, when needed, treating them with chelation.

As condor numbers dropped, people began discussing a captive breeding program. Some people opposed the plan, saying condors had the right to freedom, capturing all condors would change their natural behaviors, and the cost was too high. The U.S. government approved the project, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service created the California Condor Recovery Program in 1979. The last wild condor, named AC-9, was captured on Easter Sunday in 1987. At that time, only 22 condors remained, all in captivity. The recovery plan aimed to create two separate populations—one in California and one in Arizona—each with 150 birds and at least 15 breeding pairs.

The study and capture of condors was made possible by Jan Hamber, an ornithologist at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Hamber captured AC-9 and later created the Condor Archives, a database about condor biology and conservation.

The captive breeding program, led by the San Diego Wild Animal Park and Los Angeles Zoo, with help from other zoos, faced challenges early on. Condors have specific mating habits, but biologists used a technique called "double clutching." They removed the first egg from a nest and raised it with puppets, allowing the parents to lay a second egg.

The Condor Recovery Center at Oakland Zoo treats condors sick from lead poisoning.

In 1988, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tested releasing captive Andean condors in California. Only females were released to avoid accidentally introducing a South American species. The experiment succeeded, and all the Andean condors were later returned to South America. California condors were released in 1991 and 1992 in California and Arizona in 1996. The Arizona condors were labeled as "experimental, nonessential" to avoid conflicts with land regulations. Though wild births are still rare, their numbers are growing due to regular releases of captive-reared young.

Many factors have caused condor declines, both before and after recovery efforts. Between 1992 and 2013, 237 condor deaths occurred in the wild. Nestlings often die from eating trash fed to them by their parents. For juveniles and adults, lead poisoning from eating carcasses with lead bullets is the main cause of death.

Past threats to condors include poaching, DDT poisoning, power lines, egg collecting, and habitat loss. During the California Gold Rush, some condors were kept as pets.

Condors have a low number of offspring (one per nest) and reach sexual maturity at about 6 years old, making them vulnerable to population declines. Inbreeding may cause health issues like chondrodystrophic dwarfism and unusual tail feather counts. A 2021 study found high genetic diversity in condors, which helps improve conservation strategies.

Lead poisoning remains a major threat to condors and other scavengers. Their strong stomachs can digest lead bullets, but this causes harm. In California, the Ridley-Tree Condor Preservation Act, passed in 2008, requires hunters to use non-lead ammunition in condor habitats. This law reduced lead exposure in other species like golden eagles and turkey vultures. Other states where condors live do not have similar laws.

In 2015, a researcher noted that lead poisoning is the leading cause of death for adult and juvenile condors. Over 60% of wild condor deaths between 1992 and 2013 were due to lead poisoning. Condors live over 50 years and have small clutch sizes, making them poorly suited to survive lead exposure.

Epidemiologist Terra Kelly says lead poisoning will continue to threaten wild condor populations until all natural food sources are free of lead bullets. Hunters who use non-lead ammunition help provide food for condors and other scavengers, but lead bullets remain a serious threat.

Condors may also die from attacks by golden eagles or collisions with power lines. Since 1994, captive-bred condors have been trained to avoid power lines and people. This training has greatly reduced deaths from power lines.

Condors, like vultures, eat dead animals and sometimes small bone pieces, which are important for egg-laying. However, they can mistake trash for bones. Indigestible trash can cause blockages, starvation, or death if not treated. Parent birds may feed microtrash to nestlings, which is the leading cause of death for young condors in the wild.

Relationship with humans

The California condor has long been an important symbol in Native American cultures and has appeared in many myths. Different tribes have created unique stories about this bird.

The Wiyot people of California tell a story in which the condor helped recreate humans after a great flood destroyed them. However, other tribes, like the Mono, see the condor as a harmful creature. In their story, the condor captured humans, cut off their heads, and drained their blood to flood the home of Ground Squirrel. When Ground Squirrel tried to escape, the condor caught him, but Ground Squirrel managed to cut off the condor’s head when it stopped to drink the blood. The Yokuts people believe the condor sometimes ate the moon, which caused the moon to change shape, and its wings caused eclipses. The Chumash tribe of Southern California say the condor was once a white bird, but it turned black after flying too close to a fire.

Archaeologists have found condor bones and feather headdresses in Native American burial sites. Cave paintings of condors have also been discovered. Some tribes killed condors in special ceremonies to use their feathers for clothing. It was believed that the clothes of a dead Shaman were cursed, so new clothing had to be made for the Shaman’s replacement.

Some scientists think these rituals may have helped reduce the condor population. Certain tribes, including the Miwok, Patwin, Luiseño, and Pomo, were known to kill condors, but the exact number of birds they killed is unknown.