The bird with the widest wingspan found in America is the California condor. With a wingspan averaging over 9.5 feet, the California condor has the widest wingspan of any North American bird. This massive scavenger went extinct in the wild in 1987, but successful captive breeding programs allowed for reintroduction starting in the 1990s. Today, there are over 300 California condors flying over parts of California, Arizona, Utah and Mexico once again thanks to conservation efforts.
The wingspan measurement refers to the distance between the tip of one wing to the tip of the other wing when a bird’s wings are fully outstretched. It is a common way to quantify a bird’s size and flight capabilities. Larger wingspans generally correlate with a bird’s ability to soar and glide with little effort. Birds with wide wingspans often rely on wind currents to stay aloft without expending much energy flapping their wings.
Among American bird species, condors stand out for their exceptionally wide wingspans. There are six living species in the genus Gymnogyps, all of which are large scavenging birds in the New World vulture family. The Andean condor native to South America holds the distinction of the widest wingspan of any land bird in the world, averaging 10.5 feet across. However, the California condor is the New World vulture with the widest wingspan found in North America at over 9.5 feet.
Top 5 American Birds by Wingspan
Here are the American bird species with the 5 widest wingspans:
- California condor – 9.5 feet
- Steller’s sea eagle – 8 feet
- Bald eagle – 7.5 feet
- White-tailed eagle – 7.5 feet
- Andean condor – 7 feet (when found in far western South America)
As this list shows, condors and large eagles dominate when it comes to wingspan. The California condor is in a league of its own with a wingspan at least a foot wider than any other American bird.
California Condor Facts
Here are some key facts about the California condor:
- Scientific name: Gymnogyps californianus
- Average wingspan: 9.5 feet
- Average weight: 26 pounds
- Average lifespan: 60 years
- Diet: carrion
- Range: western North America
- Conservation status: Critically Endangered
With bald heads and large collars of lacy black feathers, California condors are unmistakable in the field. They use their tremendous wingspan to soar on updrafts for hours without flapping as they search the terrain for animal carcasses.
Why Such a Wide Wingspan?
The California condor has evolved an extraordinarily wide wingspan to accommodate its scavenger lifestyle. As they cruise high in the sky looking for food, their expansive wings provide the lift and glide efficiency needed to travel long distances with minimal effort. Their wings are well-adapted to taking advantage of wind currents rising along cliffs and mountain ranges in the American West.
California condors are cooperative foragers, often congregating at large animal carcasses like dead cattle, deer, pigs and marine mammals. Their wide wingspans allow them to efficiently cover a vast search area as a loose flock. Once food is spotted by one condor, the rest quickly converge by gliding over to share the meal.
Near Extinction and Recovery
Due to habitat loss, hunting and lead poisoning, the California condor population dropped to just 22 individuals in the 1980s confined to a small region of California. The last wild condor was taken into captivity in 1987 in a last ditch effort to save the species from extinction.
A captive breeding program slowly increased condor numbers, allowing for reintroduction back into parts of their historic range starting in 1992. There are now over 300 California condors in the wild once again, but the species is still classified as Critically Endangered.
If conservation efforts continue to be successful, future generations may again be able to witness the majestic sight of a California condor in flight over the American West. The massive 9.5 foot wingspan of these unique birds remains a national treasure to preserve and protect.
Comparison to Other Birds
To fully appreciate the impressive wingspan of the California condor, it helps to see how it measures up against wingspans of other bird species:
Bird | Wingspan |
---|---|
California condor | 9.5 feet |
Bald eagle | 7.5 feet |
Trumpeter swan | 7 feet |
Teal duck | 2 feet |
Red-winged blackbird | 1.5 feet |
At 9.5 feet across, the California condor has a wingspan over 25% wider than the bald eagle. Compared to smaller birds like ducks and blackbirds, the difference is even more dramatic.
Very few other flying birds can match the condor’s sheer physical scale. Even large sea birds like albatrosses and pelicans generally max out with wingspans around 7-8 feet across. The California condor truly dominates the skies of North America in terms of wingspan.
Wingspan and Flight
A bird’s wingspan correlates with its flight capabilities and habits. Wider wingspans allow for more lift, enabling birds to fly and glide more efficiently. Birds with vast wingspans often rely on soaring and gliding to travel long distances without flapping.
Narrower wingspans are more suitable for birds that flap frequently and engage in activities like hovering and rapid takeoffs. Small songbirds like finches have short, rounded wings that provide agility and quick flight between perches, not long-distance gliding.
Among the wide variety of American bird species, the California condor stands out for taking the long, wide wing concept to the extreme. Every aspect of its physiology and behavior seems designed around exploiting an enormous wingspan to ride air currents in search of food.
Wingspan vs. Weight
Wingspan must increase relative to a bird’s weight in order to provide enough lift for flight. The largest flying birds, like condors and large eagles/vultures, have wingspans up to 7-10 times their weight. Small songbirds have wingspans around twice their body weight. The condor’s massive wingspan has evolved to accommodate its 26 pound bulk.
Wingspan and Altitude
Birds with wide wingspans often fly at higher altitudes than small birds. The extra lift and glide efficiency afforded by long, broad wings allows them to soar at elevations up to several thousand feet. The California condor spends much of its time cruising between 1,000-15,000 feet scanning the land below for food.
Takeoff Speed
One disadvantage of a large wingspan is the need for higher takeoff speeds. While a hummingbird can quickly lift vertically, a condor needs a long runway or cliff edge to gather enough airspeed before its wings can provide enough lift. Their long wings make California condors better suited for extensive gliding versus activities requiring agile flight.
Other Birds with Wide Wingspans
While the California condor has the widest wingspan of any North American bird, other birds around the world also have impressively wide wingspans adapted for soaring flight:
Andean Condor
Very closely related to the California condor, the Andean condor of South America averages an even wider wingspan of 10.5 feet across. It is the largest flying land bird in the world.
Wandering Albatross
This pelagic seabird has the widest wingspan of any living bird, averaging around 11 feet but sometimes exceeding 12 feet across. Their long, narrow wings provide lift on ocean breezes.
Southern Royal Albatross
With a maximum recorded wingspan of 12 feet, this oceanic albatross rival the wandering albatross for most extensive wings.
White-tailed Eagle
Also called the sea eagle, this bird is a very large Old World eagle with a wingspan up to 8 feet across. It is sometimes spotted as a vagrant in western Alaska.
Steller’s Sea Eagle
One of the biggest eagles in the world, this bird inhabits coastal northeast Asia and has a wingspan approaching 9 feet wide.
Conclusion
With an average wingspan over 9.5 feet from wingtip to wingtip, no other flying bird in the Americas can match the California condor. Condors have evolved their huge wingspans to take advantage of wind patterns and efficiently search for food. Tragically, habitat loss and other factors caused wild condor populations to plummet in the 20th century. Thanks to captive breeding and release programs, this unique soaring bird has a chance to reclaim its position as a majestic icon of the skies over the American West.