This is a repost of the story I posted some time ago on on 500px.
California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is one of the rarest birds in North America. Hunted and poached close to extinction, only ~400 of these majestic birds are alive today, with only a fraction of them reintroduced into the wild. Last summer we were lucky enough to encounter two individuals.
During a return trip from the bottom of the Grand Canyon (trip deserving of its own post), I noticed a large bird patrolling the side of the canyon.
Only when I was processing the photos much later did I notice that the tags on the birds were different. We saw two individuals – #16, an eight year old female and #73, a nine year old male. [Information from http://www.nps.gov/grca/naturescience/upload/CondorChart20111216.pdf]
Grand Canyon in the morning. Grand Canyon serves as one of the few wild habitats for California Condors, although they continue to be critically endangered.
With a wingspan of almost 3 meters, it is easily the largest bird in North America. I love this photo of a Condor flying over a canyon visitor, giving a real perspective on the massiveness of the bird.