California condors are one of the largest flying birds. They are known for their enormous black wings and nine-foot wingspan, extraordinary eyesight, and inquisitive intelligence. At one time, there were thousands of California condors in the wild across the western United States and into Mexico. Fossil records indicate that these birds once inhabited present-day Florida and New York, as well. Condors catch thermal air currents that rise up as the sun heats the ground, and they can stay aloft for hours, soaring as they scan the fields below for the carrion (dead animals like cattle, deer, rabbits, and rodents) to eat. They can be distinguished in flight from other vultures by the triangular white patch under each wing.