With a wingspan of over 9 ft (about 3 m), the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) has the largest wingspan of any bird in North America. The condor is a scavenger. It is a member of the New World vulture family (Cathartidae), and is closely related to the Andean condor found in South America.

The California condor is an endangered species barely avoiding extinction. While the condor population may have been in decline before the arrival of Europeans in North America, increased settlement of its habitat, hunting, and indirect human influences (pollution, pesticides, construction hazards such as power lines) have almost wiped out the bird.

The condor was once found in much of North America. Fossil records indicate that it lived from Florida to New York in the East and British Columbia to Mexico in the West. The condor's range became more restricted even before European settlers arrived in...