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Category: California condor

01 September 2011

SWF–Another first this summer at Grand Canyon

01 CA condor Cape Royal NR GRCA NP AZ
Six captive breed California condors where first released from the Vermilion Cliffs of northern Arizona in 1996. Within a year only three remained. One was found dead of a puncture wound from a Golden Eagle, one flew into power lines near Page, Arizona and the other simply disappeared. Now 74 condors have been released in Arizona plus there have been 13 wild born of which only 9 remain. This is truly a success story considering there were only 22 California condors left in the wild in 1982 when the capture and captive breeding began.
02 CA condor Cape Royal NR GRCA NP AZ
We don’t see many condors on the North Rim. They are attracted to crowds so are seen more frequently on the South Rim, where 90% of the 5 million visitors a year go. But Wednesday a couple of visitors told me they’d seen a pair perched on a rock ledge below Angels Window. I didn’t see them there but when I walked past the window to the end of the trail at Cape Royal a shadow caught my eye causing me to look up and there one flew. I immediately pointed up into the sky and announced “condor overhead” and every visitors eyes turned skyward with cameras clicking. My shots aren’t the best. But then I had to answer a lot of condor questions.
SWF long badge
To see more of what’s up in the sky go to Sky Watch Friday by clicking here.Published 9/1/11 after this post by the Peregrine Fund who participates in the condor recovery program. Although condors are increasing in the wild they still die from lead poisoning. Check out the Summer 2011 update by clicking now.

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California condor, Grand Canyon National Park North Rim, Sky Watch Friday meme 32 Comments
24 February 2010

3 Endangered California condors die from lead poisoning

Baby California condor
You can’t hunt a California Condor, but the results of hunting can still kill them. Necropsies recently performed at the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research confirmed the presence of lead fragments in the digestive tracts of three birds, a young male, a female and her one year old wild-hatched chick.
Mating dance of California condors
Courtship display
When the state of Arizona agreed to release captive bred condors in 1996 from the Vermilion Cliffs just north of Grand Canyon National Park no laws were passed to change the ammunition used by hunters. Arizona Game & Fish did implement an education program in 2003 for hunters and offers a coupon for free copper ammunition to be used in the condor’s core range. Voluntary compliance reached 85% in 2009. After all, who really wants to bring wild meat home laden with lead fragments for family and friends to ingest. California banned the use of lead ammunition in condor areas almost two years ago.
California condors snuggling NPS archive
Condor’s feed on carrion, dead animals, and often the gut piles left behind by hunters. Lead shuts down the condors’ digestive system, which leads to starvation, weakness and death. Released birds are fitted with tracking equipment and monitored. About twice a year the condors are captured and tested for lead exposure. Birds with high blood lead concentrations are treated with chelation therapy to reduce the lead in their systems.
California Condor #19 NPS archive
Arizona’s 75, less 3, condors now forage beyond state borders, which is a good thing, if they can be protected. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources plans to implement a program similar to Arizona’s for hunters on the Zion unit in southwestern Utah.
California condors in tree
Condor recovery program officials state this is the first loss to lead poisoning in three years.
California condor NPS archive
Condor conservation partners include The Peregrine Fund, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Wildlife in Need, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service.
To learn more about California condors check out this post.

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05 September 2009

International Vulture Awareness Day

California Condor, NPS archive
Some will agree that bald is beautiful. For vultures it makes sense as they eat carrion, dead stuff.
Turkey Vulture
Here at Grand Canyon National Park Turkey Vultures are seen soaring on the canyon thermals all the time. Yet because we also have California Condors (old world vultures) here visitors often think, or wish, that’s what they see.

California Condor, NPS archive
Although both birds are bald the condor has a black ruff of feathers around the neck, sort of like a black feather boa. Condors have a 9.5 foot wingspan while vultures measure 6.5 feet. They are noticeably different in flight when seen from below. The colors are different on the underside leading edge of the wings, which I call the armpit; condors show white and vultures show black with light silvery feathers behind. Also, vulture’s wings are held in a V-shape as they rock back and forth to steer and condor’s wings are straight out with the only motion being the tips of the primary feathers.

Both birds have a special place in the web of the natural world. Check out Silver Fox at Looking for Detachment where I found out about International Vulture Awareness Day. Or click the logo for even more.

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Hi, I’m Gaelyn, the Geogypsy

I retired after 29 summer seasons as a Park Ranger, traveling solo for 40+ years. My passions include travel, connecting to nature, photography, and sharing stories.

I started exploring US National Parks in 1977 and 20 years later became a seasonal Park Ranger.  I’ve lived full-time in a RV for 30 years working summers and playing winters.  I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow old, other than grow up.

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