CALIFORNIA CONDOR (2024)

FAQs

How many California condors are left? ›

The California condor once numbered only 22 birds, but conservation measures have raised that number to over 500 today.

As of June 2024, there are 85 condors in the wild in the rugged canyon country of northern Arizona and southern Utah, and the total world population of endangered California condors' numbers more than 560 individuals, with more than half flying free in Arizona, Utah, California, and Mexico.

Though condors may let golden eagles feed first, condors are more aggressive near their nests. They rarely let eagles in the area around their nesting site, driving them off any time they come in the vicinity. Prairie falcons nest close to condors, and are very fierce in excluding large birds from their nesting areas.

California condors once ranged from British Columbia, Canada down to Baja California, Mexico. This range shrank with the increase of European settlers moving west. The causes of the decrease in condors included poisoning, shooting, habitat degradation, and the collection of eggs and feathers.

The California Condor is among the rarest and most imperiled birds in the world. Although it can be found in several southwestern states and in Mexico, it is a distinct part of California's natural heritage, so much so that it was recently included as one of the state's most notable icons on the U.S. quarter.

Habitat loss, lead poisoning, poaching, power-line accidents and DDT contamination took a deadly toll. By 1987, the world's 22 remaining California condors, all living in the mountains above Santa Barbara, California, were captured and held in captivity.

The individuals involved in killing these birds could face a third-degree felony charge of wanton destruction of protected wildlife, with a maximum fine of $5,000, restitution of $1,500 and a five-year prison sentence.

In terms of body length, the California Condor (4.5 feet) slightly nudges out the Andean Condor (four feet). The Andean Condor, however, wins when it comes to weight (33 pounds) and wingspan (10.5 feet) — nearly as long as a compact car. Despite inhabiting distant ranges — the desert Southwest vs.

Lead poisoning from ingestion of lead ammunition is the most significant threat to condor survival, but other factors - including ingestion of microtrash and electrocution - also present challenges to condors as a species.

BREEDING: California condors don't reach sexual maturity till they're six years old, and may not start breeding until they're seven or eight. They mate for life, generally producing one egg every two years between February and May.

Which states have condors? ›

Captive-bred condors have been released in central California (includes release sites in the Big Sur area and Pinnacles National Park), southern California, Arizona, and Baja, Mexico. The Arizona population has expanded into Utah. Condors don't reach adulthood until they are six or seven years old.

The exact lifespan of a California condor is unknown, but they are estimated to live over 60 years. These giants soar on wind thermals high above the ground and use their sharp eyesight to spot food below.