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Wild California Condor Encounter!

wild California Condor #11 #27

I just had the most incredible, rare and once-in-a-lifetime experience! California Condors, up close (safely from my car), and in the wild!


I was born and raised in California. I learned about the critically endangered California Condor in a biology class in high school and always thought it would be neat to see one. However, in all of my life and all of my adventures and desert wanderings, I never saw one.


A few years ago I visited Pinnacles National Park, one of the least visited National Parks in the system. In 2003 this park become part of the California Condor Recovery Program, and serves as a site for condor release and management. This was one of the reasons I was so excited to visit. It was a chance to view these magnificent birds! I saw many condors soaring high above, the white on their wings barely visible at their great distance. But I didn't have the privilege of seeing one up close.


Fast forward to the end of May 2025. Just a couple of weeks ago. I was on a solo trip, driving up to Central CA from Los Angeles and my GPS routed me around some traffic. I ended up on a surface road and was driving along when a huge shadow passed over the rocks beside my car. I found a safe spot to pull over, got out of my car and looked up at the sky. There were 2 gigantic birds soaring majestically in the sky...and they were close! As they angled themselves over the road where I was, one dipped and glided a few dozen feet above my head; the white bands on it's wings clear, iconic, and instantly recognizable. I immediately knew what I was looking at...A California Condor.



I stood there in front of my car, staring up at the sky in absolute awe. I took out my phone to get this site on video just as one of the pair landed on the side of the mountain road about 100ft in front of where I was stopped. I tried to zoom in on it, but it was still too far away. It's mate continued to sail easily on the wind as I continued watching this breathtaking sight. After a few minutes, the 2nd California Condor gracefully landed near it's mate up the road.


I got back in my car, catching my breath. I had seen 2 California Condors up close! I knew this was a special moment. It was time to continue on my way which meant heading up the road to where the 2 endangered birds had landed. I figured they would immediately take to the skies as my car neared. But I was in for a shock and surprise.


As I slowly rounded the corner to where I knew they had landed, I saw 1 condor lazily walking along the side of the road near the dirt shoulder. It was HUGE! So much larger than I imagined it would be. California Condors are the largest bird in North America, with the largest wingspan and can live up to 60 years. This condor was inspecting the ground and moving without fear or haste. I slowed to almost a stop, checked my rear view mirror to make sure there was no car behind me, and then eased my car as close to the shoulder without disturbing the California Condor in front of me.


wild California Condor #27
California Condor photo taken through car windshield and zoomed


The bird paid me no mind and continued with it's inspection of the road and dirt in front of it, slowly making its way away from the road and to the dirt. I looked to the right out of my passenger window and saw the 2nd Condor sitting among the shrubs on the side of the mountain, farther away from the road. This one was also not in a hurry to take flight and seemed undisturbed by my presence. The condor had been in the front of my car now moved with purpose towards its mate. This one had more skin and a clear waddle under it's beak and along its neck which signaled that this was a male. Number 27. And that meant that Number 11 off to my right, with the smooth neck was female.


wild California Condor

I rolled down the passenger window so that I could get clear photos and videos of this incredible pair. I zoomed in as far as I could and got these incredible photos. I was so surprised that these California Condors stayed grounded for as long as they did and showed no signs of distress, aggression, or fear at my presence. I stayed for about 10minutes watching them as they greeted each other and seemed to enjoy the wind on their feathers as they rested from their earlier flight.


Wld California Condors

Another car came from the opposite direction and slowed to see what I was looking at. I pointed excitedly and they stopped on the opposite side of the road to watch this miracle safely from their car as well. After a few more moments, I decided it was time to leave these Condors to their day and I continued on my way. My heart was still beating fast and the excitement rushed through my body as I drive away. I had just seen 2 wild California Condors, in the wild, on their terms, and it was probably the only time in my life I'd have such an encounter. It was pure magic.


I wanted to learn more about these magnificent animals and did some research. There's a website called the Condor Spotter, which allows you to track the names and info of California Condors based on the tags on their wings. So I looked up #11 & #27 ! Lulutti is the name of #11, the female, and she was hatched at San Diego Wild Animal Park in 2016. Her mate, #27 (no name listed) was hatched in the wild in 2011.




Do you know how rare it is to see a wild born Condor? In 1987, only 22 California Condors remained on Earth. At the brink of their extinction (due to humans of course), they were all captured (literally becoming extinct in the wild) so that they could be restored and eventually re-released to the wild. Today there are over 500 living California Condors with many of them living wild...like Lulutti and her mate. California Condors are the last surviving members of the genus Gymnogyps.


I am humbled and honored to have been allowed to experience these impressive animals in their natural environment. Solo traveling has yielded many such unique animal encounters, but this one truly was special. If you ever do encounter California Condors or any other wild animal, remember to keep your distance and never directly approach them, don't disturb them or disrupt their natural behavior, and take only photos/memories. If this pair hadn't been on the side of the road where I needed to drive past, I never would have been this close.


I'm so grateful for this encounter with the regal California Condor!



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