California Condor, Gymnogyps californianus, silhouette of a fully mature Condor on the cliffs above the Colorado River, upstream from the Grand Canyon
California Condors are one of the rarest birds in North America. They were on the brink of extinction just a couple decades ago. The few remaining birds were captured and raised and bred in captivity, as a measure to save the species. After many years, the breeding program was fruitful, and enough reproduction occurred that some birds were released into the wild. The wild, free birds have done well, and are now breeding, hatching, and rearing young on their own in non-captive conditions. But females can only lay one egg per year, and must be at least 5 years old before they can lay their first egg, so reproduction is very slow. Every single Condor that hatches and survives is the result of a lot of time and a lot of effort, both on the part of the parent Condors and the conservation workers who continue to work to ensure that this species is able to survive and thrive in the wild.
Size: 4896px × 3264px
Location: Marble Canyon and Glean Canyon, by Navajo Bridge, above the Colorado River, just upstream from the G
Photo credit: © Tom Reichner / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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