- Gymnogyps californianus
Identification
- Black plumage
- White patches on underwings
- Bald head (skin colour ranging from yellowish to bright red)
- Black frill around base of neck
- Brown-red iris
- Grey legs and feet
- Ivory bill
Juvenile
- Mottled dark brown
- Blackish head
- Mottled grey on underside of flight feathers
Distribution
North America: confined to the foothills of the Coast Range and Sierra Nevada of California.
Once probably widespread in the western USA. In 1987 the last wild bird was captured to join the 26 other surviving specimens in captivity in an attempt to save the species.
Birds are now being released into the wild once again and are found in California, Utah, Arizona, and Baja California. In all locations, lead poisoning from ammunition fragments in carcases is a serious problem, and another serious problem is trash showing up in nests and being ingested by the chicks -- long term success of the recovery program is therefore not a given.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Subspecies amplus is extinct and known only from fossils[2].
Habitat
Gorges and rocky canyons in chaparral and pine-covered, dry mountains.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes carrion; it is a scavenger.
Breeding
They nest in caves or on cliffs. A single blue-white egg is incubated by both parents for 53-60 days.
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Avibase
- Paper describing the status of the condor recovery program
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) California Condor. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/California_Condor
External Links
