# California Condor (*Gymnogyps californianus*)

> The California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is North America's largest flying land bird, soaring on wings near 3 m across while scavenging carcasses in California, Arizona, Utah, and Baja California. Adults weigh about 10 kg and are Critically Endangered — every wild bird descends from a 1980s captive-breeding rescue.

- **Category:** Bird
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Critically Endangered
- **Range:** Reintroduced to California, Arizona, Utah, and Baja California.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/california-condor/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Cathartiformes
- **Family:** Cathartidae
- **Genus:** Gymnogyps

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Gymnogyps californianus |
| Diet | Carnivore (carrion) |
| Habitat | Cliffs, foothills, and open ranchland |
| Lifespan | Around 60 years in the wild (varies by population and captivity). |
| Weight | About 10 kg typical adult mass (sex and region vary). |
| Top speed | Up to roughly 90 km/h when moving at speed. |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered (IUCN) |

## Giant New World vulture

Bald orange heads reduce bacterial buildup when feeding inside carcasses. Condors soar for hours on thermals with minimal flapping. Breeding pairs raise a single chick every two years.

## Obligate scavenger

They eat large mammal carcasses — deer, cattle, marine mammals on coasts — never killing healthy prey. Lead fragments in gut piles from hunter-shot game are a primary poisoning source.

## Reintroduced Southwest skies

Extinct in the wild by 1987, then reintroduced to California, Arizona, Utah, and Baja California cliffs, foothills, and ranchland. Across its range it is tied to cliffs, foothills, and open ranchland, and field accounts emphasise this species’ distinctive ecology rather than generic habitat labels.

## Critically Endangered, intensively managed

Captive breeding saved the species. Lead ammunition bans in condor range, nest monitoring, and chick fostering continue; IUCN still lists them Critically Endangered.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why did California condors almost go extinct?

Lead poisoning, shooting, and habitat loss collapsed numbers until all remaining wild birds were brought into captivity in the 1980s.

### How big is a California condor's wingspan?

About 2.7–3 m — the largest of any North American land bird.

### Do California condors hunt live animals?

No — they are scavengers that feed on carrion (Gymnogyps californianus; diet: Carnivore (carrion)).

### Why is lead ammunition a problem?

Condors ingest lead fragments from carcasses and gut piles, causing fatal poisoning.

### Where can you see California condors?

Reintroduced areas of California, the Grand Canyon region of Arizona/Utah, and Baja California.

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/california-condor/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.