At first glance, that's a buzzard. Or turkey vulture, technically. They're common as crows here. See 'em all the time - flying round and round, by the side of the road eating roadkill... We also have black vultures here, but they're uncommon. The one in your picture isn't one, because his head isn't solid black.

So just to double check I went to the site. I've never seen a California Condor or been anywhere near where one might be spotted, so I wanted to make sure. According to the drawings linked, that's still a buzzard. Condors have lighter feathers on their breasts and upper wings, while that guy, like the buzzards, have lighter colors on their lower wings. Great pic for identification, btw.

I'm posting a pic of a buzzard all hunched up in the rain I took last April. Not great for identification, but still a nice picture of their posture when hanging out in a tree.



And as for a golden eagle (we have a stuffed one at my visitor center, live ones are really rare here), even when immature, their heads are a solid dark brownish, reddish, goldish color.

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"The Alliance ain't the good guys. They're the opposing faction." ---Sam Shepherd or Stephen Howie

Admittedly I am not a bird expert by any means, but it looks like a vulture to my inexperienced eyes.

But thanks to your interest I have found myself glancing to the skies more often than before. I notice that many hawks and falcons perch on the light posts next to the freeways there eyes fixed on the nearby fields and empty lots for prey. Especially on the 405 near John Wayne Airport.

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sumigo is just an online handle, my real name is Brandon.