Animalia Life

Gymnogyps californianus
SUBFAMILY
Catharnae
TAXONOMY
Vultur californianus Shaw, 1798, Monterey, California. Monotypic.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Condor de Californie; German: Kalifornischer Kondor; Spanish: Cуndor Californiano.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
46–53 in (117–134 cm) 17–24 lb (7.7–10.9 kg). Wingspan of nearly 10 ft (3 m). Entirely black plumage except for conspicuous triangle of white feathers in the ventral portion of both wings in the adult. The grayish triangle of juvenile birds gradually becomes whiter by five years of age. The grayish head color of the juveniles also gradually changes to reddish orange as they mature.
DISTRIBUTION
While the species once ranged from British Columbia to northern Baja in the early 1800s, it became extinct in the wild in 1987. As a result of reintroduction efforts, its 2002 range includes the coastal mountains in California from Monterey to just north of Los Angeles, and a disjunct population north of the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
HABITAT
Roosting and nesting occur in mountainous areas where winds allow the birds to range widely. Foraging occurs in open areas of savanna, grasslands, and coastal beaches where food is located through the activities of other scavenger species.
BEHAVIOR
Highly curious and intelligent, it finds food through observing the
BEHAVIOR
s and activities of other species. Condors can travel hundreds of miles in a single day, foraging alone or in well dispersed groups at high altitudes. Strict hierarchy at a carcass reduces aggression to a minimum.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Scavenger of large carcasses that include marine mammals as well as wild and domestic ungulates. Their large and powerful bill enables them to tear open thick hide.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Courtship displays generally begin in October with egg laying beginning in mid-January to late April. The single white egg is incubated equally by both parents through its 57 day incubation period. The chick takes about six months to fledge, with a lengthy parental dependency period that appears to vary with food availability. Sexual maturity is at five to six years of age. Pair bonds are for life as long as the pair remains productive.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Critically Endangered. Wild population was as low as 19 birds. In 1987 the remaining birds were brought into captivity to rebuild the population. Through strict out-breeding of pairs within the 14 family lines and multiple clutching techniques, the species has rebounded to 183 birds by the end of 2001.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Native American cultures along the California and Oregon coasts have had a long and intimate history with this species. They have used feathers and bones for ceremonies, depicted the birds in artwork, and incorporated them in their legends.

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