California Condors, the largest land birds in North America with a wingspan of up to 9.5 feet, are a rare and remarkable presence in Arizona. Once extinct in the wild, they have been reintroduced through an intensive conservation program. In Arizona, condors were first released in 1996 near Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, where a managed population now soars over the Grand Canyon region and Kaibab Plateau. These scavengers feed primarily on large carcasses, such as deer and livestock, and are often seen gliding on thermal updrafts along canyon walls. Though still critically endangered, the Arizona population is steadily growing, offering birders and conservationists a rare glimpse of these majestic birds in the wild. The best place to see Condors is at Navajo Bridge in Northern Arizona.
