The California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is a species of bird of prey in the family Cathartidae, the New World vultures. It is the largest extant bird in North America. It was once native to the Pacific coast of the continent from Vancouver Island to the northern end of the Baja California peninsula, but became extinct in the wild in 1987 due to pollution, poaching, and habitat destruction. All the remaining wild individuals were captured, and as of 2022 some small populations have been reintroduced to the wild in a few places throughout the American Southwest. Despite efforts to save it from total extinction, it is still considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
