The plumage is uniform black with patches of white on the underwing covert feathers. The head, neck and mid breast are bare of feathers, with skin color ranging from gray on juvenile birds to yellow and bright orange on breeding adults.

The California condor is a new world vulture. Its 9.8 foot wingspan is the widest of any North American bird and, except for the white pelican and whooping crane, the condor is the largest bird on the continent. Its weight ranges from 15 to 31 pounds and rivals the weight of the trumpeter swan, the heaviest among all native North American bird species.

Average weight is just under twenty pounds. Wingspands of eleven feet have been reported but no wingspan over ten feet has been verified. Most measurements are from birds raised in captivity, so determining if there are any major differences in measurements between wild and captive condors is difficult.

The condor is a scavenger and eats large amounts of carrion.

Once, this huge bird was seen soaring over the coastal mountain ranges from California to Oregon and is one of the world′s longest living birds with a lifespan of up to sixty years.

In 1987, this bird became extinct in the wild when all 22 remaining individuals were captured and then placed in captive breeding programs at the San Diego wild animal park and Los Angeles zoo.

Shortly after, the numbers began to rise and as early as 1991, young condors were reintroduced into the wild.

Later, more of the species were regularly introduced into three areas; (1) northern Arizona and southern Utah, primarily in the national park lands; (2) coastal mountain ranges of central California; and (3) extreme northern Baja California.

Since 1991, the population of the California condor has grown, but this species remains one of the world′s rarest bird species.

A report dated December 2016 showed that there were only 446 condors alive, including both those in the wild and in captivity.

After the sunglow wakes me, I drive to the next town for a cup of coffee. I know, I am carrying everything to brew my own, but I guess I have become too accustom to having someone pour coffee into my cup. Nevertheless, it is nice to not have to get out my stove. I continued west on US 89 A to Navaho Bridge where I stop to take some photos and see a California condor sitting on the under structure.

I wait until he begins to move and then take several photos of him sunning himself. I notice that he has the number A6 attached to the inside of both wings.