As of January 2000, the total population of California condors was 158 birds and 53 of those were in the wild. Physical Characteristics California Condors are the largest North American land birds and among the largest flying birds in the world. An adult condor will weigh about 22 pounds and can have a wingspan of up to 9.5 feet.
Adults are mostly black with white underwing patches.
Similar to their relatives, the vultures, they have no feathers on their heads or feet. Juvenile condors are grayish-black, with short feathers on their heads that they lose as they grow older. The bright orange-red colored head and the white patches under the wings are easy ways to distinguish adult California Condors from juveniles. Males and females cannot be distinguished by size or plumage characteristics. Historical Range Fossil records reveal that the California Condor once ranged over much of the southern United States, south to Nuevo Leon, Mexico, and east to Florida, as well as upstate New York.