California Condor
CR

California Condor

Gymnogyps californianus

Increasing

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

The California Condor faces severe threats from lead poisoning when scavenging carcasses shot with lead ammunition, which remains the primary cause of mortality in wild populations. Microtrash ingestion, particularly bottle caps and plastic fragments mistaken for bone chips, causes fatal intestinal blockages. Power line collisions and electrocutions pose significant risks to these large soaring birds, while habitat loss from urban development continues to fragment their remaining range.

Threat summary

Habitat

California Condors inhabit mountainous regions, coastal ranges, and oak savannas across California and adjacent areas of Arizona and Utah. They require large territories with suitable roosting sites on cliffs or tall trees, open areas for foraging on carrion, and minimal human disturbance.

Forest· majorSavanna· majorRocky areas· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies managementSpecies reintroductionEx-situ conservationAwareness & communicationsLegislation

Other threatened species in CATHARTIDAE

Andean CondorVU

Andean Condor

Vultur gryphus

Declining

Threatened in Mexico

EN

Turbinicarpus horripilus

Declining
CR

Turbinicarpus mandragora

Declining
EN

Opuntia pachyrrhiza

Declining
EN

Arachnothryx tacanensis

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is California Condor classified as Critically Endangered?
California Condor is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The California Condor faces severe threats from lead poisoning when scavenging carcasses shot with lead ammunition, which remains the primary cause of mortality in wild populations. Microtrash ingestion, particularly bottle caps and plastic fragments mistaken for bone chips, causes fatal intestinal blockages. Power line collisions and electrocutions pose significant risks to these large soaring birds, while habitat loss from urban development continues to fragment their remaining range.
Where does California Condor live?
California Condor occurs in Mexico, and United States. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to California Condor?
The main threats to California Condor are 8.2, 9.3, ai-1, and ai-2. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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