CA’s Most Wanted

This most wanted edition is a doozey!

The most wanted bird in California is my friend the California Condor. The scientific community will recognize him by the name Gymnogyps californianus.

The California Condor isn’t just special in California; he’s also considered one of the world’s rarest birds. Only 351 are known to be living, as of 2009, including only 180 in the wild.

In the 1980s, the California Condor was near extinction because of the things birds like us despise: poaching, lead poisoning, and habitat destruction. After a captive breeding program in 1987, dozens have been released back into the wild, beginning in 1991. Now they only live in the Grand Canyon area, Zion National Park, California’s western coastal mountains and northern Baja California.

How do you spot this good, feathered friend of mine? Well, considering the sparse population, it’s not going to be easy. You’ll know you’ve spotted one if you see a large black bird (ranging from 42-55 inches in length and a wingspan of 8.2-9.9 feet) with a large triangular patch or bands of white on the underside of the wings, grey legs and feet, a frill of black feathers around the base of the neck, an ivory-colored bill, and skin color varying from yellowish to reddish-orange.

Have you seen this rare bird, with the largest wingspan of any North American bird? If so, contact us with details!