California Condor
CONSERVATION STATUS:
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
California Condor Facts
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Gymnogyps californianus
LIFE SPAN:
60 years
SIZE:
around 3 ft
WEIGHT:
up to 26 pounds
DIET:
The California Condor is a scavenger, meaning that it feeds on the carcasses of already hunted animals. They mainly feed on carcasses of deer, goats, sheep, donkeys, and other mammals. Also, they will feed on aquatic mammals like whales and sea lions too.
PReDATORS:
mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
The Condor has mostly black feathers with patches of white feathers under its wings. It has very few feathers on its head and neck and the skin color varies from yellow to orange. California Condors have the largest wingspan of any North American bird.
BEHAVIOR:
The condor is very graceful during flight and can sometimes go for miles without flapping its wings. They can also fly as fast as 56 miles per hour and as high as 15,000 feet. As chicks or baby birds, condors are able to fly after six months.
THREATS:
Although mountain lions, coyotes, and bobcats do hunt baby condors, humans are the main threat to California Condors. Hunters in the area use lead bullets, which poisons the meat that the condors eat.
How can you Help?
Click here for California Condor Recovery Website
More education and facts about the California Condor!
Learn all you can about California Condors and share with others.
Clean up “microtrash” (small trash like broken glass and small pieces of plastic) when in condor territory.
Don’t use lead bullets when hunting! Condors eat these and are poisoned by them. If using lead bullets, makes sure to clean up your hunting site.
