California Condor

On the rim of the Grand Canyon, I sighted and photographed a California Condor. The California Condor has been endangered for over 20 years, since 1890 when only 22 individuals were alive. All of these lived in captivity. Today, its population is still under 300 individuals. Natural proneness to extinction combined with hunting, lead poisoning, DDT poisoning, and habitat destruction has contributed to the difficulty this bird has thriving.

The California Condor is a member of the vulture family; it is also the world's rarest bird of prey (a scavenger). A bird of prey hunts for food primarily using its talons. These birds have excellent vision for this purpose. The appearance of the California Condor is fairly uniform. They have black feathers, a multicolored, bare head, and a curved beak. The size and weight of the California Condor is atypical for birds of prey because the female is smaller than the male. Its length from head to talon ranges from 46 to 53 inches, and the wingspan averages 9.1 feet. The weight ranges from 15.5 to 31 lbs, with estimations of average weight ranging from 17.6 to 20 lbs. Most of these measurements are taken from birds raised in captivity. California Condors have the second biggest wingspan of any North American bird. The California Condor has interesting mating habits. It mates at a later age and tends to produce few young.