What type of bird is a condor?

Condor is the common name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. The Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) which inhabits the Andean mountains and the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) currently restricted to the western coastal mountains of the United States and Mexico and the northern desert mountains of Arizona in the United States.

Both condors are very large broad-winged soaring birds, the Andean condor being 5 cm shorter (beak to tail) on average than the northern species, but larger in wingspan. California condors are the largest flying land birds in North America. The Andean condor is second only to the wandering albatross (up to 3.5 m) in terms of wingspan among all living flying birds.

The male Andean condor is a blackbird with grayish-white wing feathers, a white fringe of feathers around the neck, and a bare red or pinkish head, neck, and crop. Males have a large caruncle, or fleshy protuberance, on the forehead and top of the beak, and turkeylike neck wattles.

Adult California condors are mostly black, with bold white wing linings and a bare red-to-orange head, neck, and crop. Young birds have a dark head that gradually becomes red as they near adulthood at about six years of age. They forage in open country and feed exclusively on carrion. California condors nest in cliffs, under large rocks, or in other natural cavities, including holes in redwood trees.