A young California condor from the L.A. Zoo had been flying freely for only three months when he died after ingesting a lead pellet from an air gun.

The California condor, North America’s largest bird ... Andean condors live from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego and have a wingspan about 12 inches larger than that of California condors.

A cherished icon of the West, the prehistoric-looking California condor remains one of the world's most endangered species. North America's largest avian narrowly escaped extinction in the mid-1980s ...

Because they are so heavy (up to 33 pounds), even their enormous 10-foot wingspan ... The Andean condor is considered threatened but is in far better shape than its California cousin.

Last year was an exceptional milestone for the Central California condor flock, as nine wild chicks fledged from their parents’ nests, “the highest number of chicks (to fledge) in the program ...