I was curious to know how big the wingspan of the California condor is. So I went on a rabbit hole journey about California condors and I searched every possible thing about them and other giant wingspan birds.
So here I brought you this article about the wingspan of California condor. I’ve covered every aspect of it and also compared it with other birds.
So without further ado, let’s get into it.
California Condor Wingspan
Intense human efforts saved the federally endangered California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) from extinction; it now breeds in the southwest, including Utah, Arizona, and California. It is the most giant terrestrial bird in North America, with a wingspan of up to 9.5 feet, and one of the rarest birds in the entire world.
The California Condor is well known for its large wingspan, in fact, the bird species has one of the largest wingspans in North America.
On average California condor has a wingspan range between 2.49 to 3 m (8.2 to 9.8 ft).
| Wingspan in feet | Wingspan in Meter | |
| California Condor | 8.2 to 9.8 ft | 2.49 to 3 m |
Interestingly, the male and female California Condors almost have similar wingspans, so the above lengths are applicable to both genders of the bird.
Juvenile California Condor Wingspan
Generally, the size of living beings increases with age till it reaches sexual maturity.
The length of the wings of a juvenile California Condor is obviously smaller than that of an adult.
Additionally, the wingspan varies with every age. On average the juvenile California condor has a wingspan range of 4-7 feet (1.2- 2.1 meters).
Does The California Condor Have The Largest Wingspan?
Although in terms of wingspan measurement the Andean Condor comes out on top (10.5 feet). But since the Andean condor is not counted as a North American bird species.
So we can say the California condor is the biggest flying bird in North America. However, in terms of body length, the California Condor (4.5 feet) significantly outnumbers the Andean Condor (4 feet).
California condors have a wingspan of 9.5 feet (3 meters), which is at least 2 feet longer than the next biggest bird, the golden eagle.
California Condor Vs Andean Condor Wingspan
Two of the most competitive Condor birds are the California Condor and the Andean Condor. The Andean Condor is the most closely related to the California Condor.
If we compare the two bird types on the basis of their length then the length of the California Condor is 4.5 feet and the length of the Andean Condor is 4 feet. Here the California Condor significantly outnumbers the Andean Condor.
While the California Condor has a wingspan of 2.49 to 3 m (8.2 to 9.8 ft), the Andean Condors have a wingspan of 2.5-3.2 meters (8.5-10.5ft).
| California Condor | Andean Condor | |
| Wingspan | 2.49 to 3 m (8.2 to 9.8 ft) | 2.5-3.2 meters (8.5-10.5ft) |
California Condor Wingspan Vs Bald Eagle
Have you ever thought, if we compare the same bird with other types of bird species such as Eagles then what would you get? In this article section, we will be comparing the California Condor with Bald Eagles.
The bald eagle is a North American predatory bird. Bald eagles are often located in vast amounts of open water with an abundance of food and old-growth trees for nesting.
Female bald eagles are often bigger than males but have the same color. Bald eagles may reach a height of 2.5 to 3 feet (0.7 to 0.9 meters) and have a wingspan of 1.8 and 2.3 m (5 ft 11 in and 7 ft 7 in).
As we earlier pointed out the size of the wingspan of the California Condor is 2.49 to 3 m (8.2 to 9.8 ft), we can clearly see the dominance. The California Condor has a larger wingspan as compared to the Bald Eagle.
| California Condor | Bald Eagle | |
| Wingspan | 2.49 to 3 m (8.2 to 9.8 ft) | 1.8 and 2.3 m (5 ft 11 in and 7 ft 7 in) |
California Condor Wingspan Vs Albatross
Another bird to compare with the California Condor is the Albatross. The wandering albatross is the most giant flying bird in the world.
Albatrosses have the most giant wingspan because they employ their enormous wingspans to ride the ocean breezes and often glide for hours without stopping or even flapping their wings.
It is quite insane how the wingspan of these birds can go up to 11 to 12 feet, while the wingspan of the California Condor is around 8-9 feet.
The 1 feet difference in their wingspan makes the Albatrosses more advanced and efficient in flight.
Moreover, you would be stunned to know that the Wandering albatross is known to have the largest wingspan and is the fifteenth heaviest bird in the world.
| California Condor | Albatross | |
| Wingspan | 2.49 to 3 m (8.2 to 9.8 ft) | 8ft-11.6 ft inches |
California Condor Wingspan Compared To Human
Up till now, we have compared the California Condor with its own type of birds, and with other types of birds, it is essential that we also compare it with other species.
While we human species don’t really have wings we cannot really compare in terms of wingspan. Instead, the alternative is to compare the height or arm span of humans with the wingspan of the California Condor.
So, the average adult height and arm span are around 5.5-5.9ft and the wingspan of the California Condor is 8-10 feet.
Even though there is not a big difference yet we cannot deny that the California Condor with its wings wide open is larger than the average human in every aspect.
Conclusion
That was everything you need to know about the California condor wingspan. I hope this article was informative enough and you got something useful from it.
Thank you for reading!
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