California Condor
Photo Copyright Norman Williamson
Gymnogyps californianus
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G1
State (S-rank): S1
Utah Wildlife Action Plan status
- SGCN
External links
Species range
There are currently only four wild populations of California condors in the world: two in California; one in Baja California, Mexico; and one in northern Arizona and southern Utah (southwest population). In Utah, condors are predominantly found in and around Zion National Park and the Kolob Terrace across Iron, Kane, and Washington counties, though they have recently extended their presence into Garfield County (Southwest Condor Review Team 2017, The Peregrine Fund data). Individual condors occasionally leave this area on brief, round-trip jaunts of a few days. They have traveled as far as southeast Nevada, Grand Junction, Colorado, and Flaming Gorge, Wyoming (Southwest Condor Review Team 2017).
Habitat
No habitat information accompanied either of the two historical reports of this species in Utah, and the locality data are not sufficiently precise to allow habitat to be determined from known locations. Breeding sites and communal roost sites elsewhere are typically associated with remote, undisturbed cliffs and rock outcroppings.
Ecology
California condors are New World vultures and subsist entirely on carrion. They are dependent on herds of ungulates, feeding on deceased big game as well as domestic livestock (USFWS 1996). Condors make wide-ranging, soaring flights to find carrion (USFWS 1996, USFWS 2013). They feed primarily in open areas of foothills and flats (USFWS 1996, USFWS 2013).
This species requires vast, wild landscapes with canyons, cliffs and rocky outcroppings. Cliffs provide nesting (caves and alcoves), perching/resting, and roosting habitat. Condors also perch and roost in large conifer trees on and near cliffs (USFWS 1996, USFWS 2013). Cliff and canyon geography creates excellent conditions for updrafts and wind patterns necessary for this largest and heaviest North American bird to soar in search of food.
Threats or limiting factors
Lead poisoning is the primary cause of mortality in the southwest population and the greatest obstacle to recovery of the species in the wild (Green et al 2008, Finkelstein et al 2012, Southwest Condor Review Team 2017). Condors ingest lead fragments when they feed on gut piles and wounded game animals during and following hunting seasons. They may die directly from lead toxicity, or be so compromised that they succumb to secondary causes (Southwest Condor Review Team 2017).
Predation is the second-leading cause of diagnosed mortality in the southwest population (Southwest Condor Review Team 2012, USFWS 2024a). Predation is most often associated with inappropriate behavior (e.g., roost site selection) in recently released birds. The primary predators of California condors are golden eagles and coyotes.
In 2022, the Utah-Arizona condor population experienced a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak, resulting in the deaths of 21 birds, including 8 breeding pairs, which represented nearly 20% of the population. This event prompted the formation of an Incident Command Response team and the development of a vaccine to prevent further spread. California condor conservation partners are continuing to vaccinate both wild and captive condors and monitor the spread of HPAI across the condor range, implementing all necessary precautions to minimize the risk of another outbreak. (USFWS 2024b).
Condors are visual foragers, and they actively investigate potential indicators of the presence of food. This trait has brought them into contact with humans and human infrastructure. Perching on power poles and flying into power lines has killed a few condors, and roosting on cabins has brought them into conflict with humans (USFWS 2013).
Condors are long-lived birds. At least one California condor lived nearly 50 years in captivity before re-release to the wild (USFWS 2013). Most long-lived species are late to mature and produce few young; condors are no exception. It takes 6-8 years for a condor to reach sexual maturity and they produce one chick every other year (USFWS 2013). This low reproductive rate makes recovery from mortality events a long and slow process.
Taxonomy
Hayward et al. (1976) discussed this species using the name VULTUR CALIFORNIANUS. Henshaw (1875) applied to it the name PSEUDOGRYPHUS CALIFORNIANUS, which he called the California vulture.