California Condor
Gymnogyps californianus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyCathartidae (New World Vultures)
- GenusGymnogyps (North American Condors)
- SpeciesGymnogyps californianus (California Condor)
The California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is a New World vulture and the largest North American land bird. It became extinct in the wild in 1987 when all remaining wild individuals were captured, but has since been reintroduced to northern Arizona and southern Utah (including the Grand Canyon area and Zion National Park), the coastal mountains of California, and northern Baja California in Mexico. It is the only surviving member of the genus Gymnogyps, although four extinct members of the genus are also known. The species is listed by IUCN as critically endangered, and similarly considered Critically Imperiled by NatureServe. The plumage is black with patches of white on the underside of the wings; the head is largely bald, with skin color ranging from gray on young birds to yellow and bright orange on breeding adults. Its 3.0 m (9.8 ft) wingspan is the widest of any North American bird, and its weight of up to 14 kg (31 lb) nearly equals that of the trumpeter swan, the heaviest among native North American bird species. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a California Condor sighting in Zion National Park, based on 420 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Zion National Park
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Common Black-Hawk
Buteogallus anthracinus
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Accipiter striatus
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneus
Ferruginous Hawk
Buteo regalis
Swainson's Hawk
Buteo swainsoni
Zone-tailed Hawk
Buteo albonotatus
Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a California Condor in Zion National Park?
About 24% of wildlife watchers report a California Condor sighting in Zion National Park, based on 420 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see California Condor in Zion National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for California Condor in Zion National Park in our monthly data.