The first California condor to fly in San Diego County skies since 1910 was spotted in April 2007 when the female bird took a day trip north from Baja California before returning to Mexico. As condors expand their range, the California Condor Recovery Program is asking for information about possible condor sightings. A newly created Website, “California Condor Conservation,” includes graphics and images to help bird watchers determine if they are one of the few lucky ones who have seen a California condor in the wild.

Condor sightings can easily be reported by following the link at www.cacondorconservation.org. The Recovery Program wants to know what bird was spotted and what it was doing. One of the best ways to know if you’re looking at a condor is by looking for a numbered tag on its wing. All wild condors are marked with identification tags on each wing that indicate which of the more than 140 free flying condors have been spotted.

The condor was near extinction in the 1980s when the world population of this species hit a low of 22 individuals. Since then, thanks to a multi-agency effort, the condor now numbers near 300 birds. A successful breeding program allowed the Recovery Program to release birds in California, Arizona and in Baja California, Mexico.

Turkey vultures and golden eagles are often confused for condors. A graphic on the Website shows the difference between these species. So if you’ve seen a condor, report it.

The California Condor Recovery Program is built upon a foundation of private and public partnerships. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service implements the recovery program in partnership with other U.S. and Mexican government agencies, the Zoological Society of San Diego, Los Angeles Zoo, The Peregrine Fund, Oregon Zoo, Chapultepec Zoo, Ventana Wilderness Society and the National Park Service among others.

The 100-acre San Diego Zoo is operated by the not-for-profit Zoological Society of San Diego. The Zoological Society, dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and their habitats, engages in conservation and research work around the globe and is responsible for maintaining accredited horticultural, animal, library, and photo collections. The Zoological Society also manages the 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park (more than half of which has been set aside as protected native species habitat) and the center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES). The important conservation and science work of these entities is supported in part by the Foundation for the Zoological Society of San Diego.

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It is 7:15 when the 150 lbs of gear is loaded onto ATVs and the four of us are ready to make our way to the nest cliff. It will be a short ride and then about an hour hike to reach the top of the nest cliff. At 8:30 we reached the steep slopes above the nest cliff. Each nest is like a puzzle with a variety of challenges to overcome in order to get to it. For some, the routes to the nest cliff present the biggest challenge. Many are on very steep exposed terrain. In this case, the rappel to the nest will prove to be the much more difficult than the hike. It will require close to 500 feet of rope and portions of the descent, especially the last 100 feet, will be on near vertical terrain made up of loose rocks and the occasional cliff side shrub.

It’s 9:30 and I radio the nest observer across the canyon to inform her that I am going to begin my decent. From this point on, she will be my navigator as I make my way down the cliff. She will also inform me of the attending parent’s behavior so I know what to expect when I reach the nest. I weight the rope and the anchors we’ve built out of this recently sunken rebar and the webbing that distributes the weight evenly across them barely even flexes; this is a good sign. As always, we’ve built an anchor that is redundant, capable of withstanding forces much greater than my body weight and the 40 lbs of gear that I am carrying. The consequences of a fall would be life threatening and I’ve got no plans to end up as condor food just yet.

It is our first time rappelling on this nest cliff so the decent takes longer than normal. I need to be careful about lose rock and veering off course so I descend slowly trying to make mental notes about the terrain for future entries. I am only about 10 feet above the nest with the female, condor 79, looking up at me from the nest porch. I anticipate that as I approach she will flush from the nest and leave me to candle the egg and sift the nest substrate for any trash that she or her mate may have brought to the nest. In the eight other nests I’ve entered, this is what I’ve come to expect of these giant birds. Perhaps she might re-land while I am there, keeping her distance while doing her best to let her size and presence intimidate me.

A few moments later I discover that condor 79 has a different game plan. Upon arriving at the nest, I quickly remove my pack and grab my camera to fire off a few photos of her, who has yet to evacuate the nest. She has taken a stereotypical defensive posture with her head lower, mouth gaping, and wings partially extended. I turn to prep the equipment needed to candle the egg and a few seconds later I hear the frantic voice of the nest observer over the radio. Her warning was just in time as I turn to see 79 approaching with the intent to use her powerful beak to defend her nest. Allowing the parents to remain perched at edge of the nest seems to be less stressful on the parents rather than continually flushing them away. I move into a position within arms reach of the egg and try to encourage the worried mother to fly off. She hops off to a nearby ledge.

I discover that the cavity has a small window that opens up to the ledge she is perched on. It is not big enough for her to fit through but as I go to candle the egg, I am within striking distance of her powerful beak. I remove my helmet and place it in front of the window. In order to candle the egg I must create a makeshift dark room in the nest. I do this by draping a tarp over my head and use a high powered flash light to illuminate the egg so I might see its contents. With my head under the tarp the sound of 79 pecking at my helmet is reassuring. As long as I hear her there I know she is not sneaking to the front of the nest where my legs are exposed to her bite. I am now focused at the task at hand. I am careful not to make any sudden movements while handling the precious egg. I keep it in the position that I find it in, only raising it a few inches and holding it to the light. I can only make out the air cell and a dark shadow with faint lines extending into the unlit portions of the egg, but the shadow’s movement is a sure sign of a of a fertile egg!

My attention is completely focused on positioning the egg exactly as I found it and I am unaware that the periodic taps on my helmet have stopped. Condor 79 has returned to the nest entrance. I feel a tug at my paint leg as she lets me know that I am unwelcome at the nest. I quickly sift through the cavity substrate searching for any trash items that the chick could later ingest. Luckily, I’ve remembered to tether my backpack to the rope as well because the condor has pulled it over the edge of the nest in hopes to send it the remaining hundred feet to the canyon floor!

I am happy to discover the nest is clean, 79 turns her focus to the egg as I move to the other side of the cavity. She slowly steps into the cavity and stands over the egg looking down at it. With my gear stowed away I am ready to make my exit. I begin the ascent back up to the rest of the team who have been patiently waiting in case I was in need of any support. Condor 79 is now fully focused on her egg using her beak to manipulate the egg and I can see first hand just how gentle a condor can be with its beak. I make the climb back up to the top set of anchors with a feeling of satisfaction. A fertile egg and a mother who is more than willing to defend her nest from any intruders means there is little chance we will need to do more for this pair during the egg stage. In years to come, this pair’s ability to produce fertile eggs will only improve so this first egg is a strong indication of future egg success. This is an excellent start to what we hope to be another fruitful breeding season.

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State Assemblyman Pedro Nava was there, issuing a challenge to the Governor to come to Santa Barbara to sign his bill (AB821) banning the use of lead ammunition in the range of the California condor. (It was enacted the next day in Sacramento). The Ridley-Tree Condor Preservation Act is named for longtime Zoo supporters, the late Paul Ridley-Tree and his wife, Leslie. Paul was a very kind and generous man; a true gentleman. The plaza of our condor exhibit is also named for him.

At that October event, I also met some of our program partners for the first time: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Marc Weitzel, Christopher J. Barr and Richard Posey. We were in high spirits – the exhibit was finally underway! Well… it took four more months, but demolition has started and we are now truly “under construction.” The California Trails complex will feature several endangered species native to the state, specifically the Central Coast – not just condors. We’re also renovating exhibits of Channel Island fox, bald eagle, desert tortoise, and creating a new space for reptiles and amphibians from the Los Padres National Forest. We are removing the playground for the tortoises, as the condors need “quieter neighbors” (a new play area near the Zoo Train opens next month).

Up to six birds will be on view in their hilltop aviary overlooking part of their historic range, the Santa Ynez Mountains. The California Condor Recovery Team will determine which individual birds will come to Santa Barbara, based on the needs of the program. As the population grows, there is a need for long-term housing of birds which, for any number of reasons, cannot be released into the wild. There are no plans for condor breeding at the Santa Barbara Zoo. The exhibit is a little over 6,000 square feet and has 174,000 cubic feet. It is in an area that was not really used to house animals — it has redwood trees and a stream which fills two different pools.

Alan Varsik, our director of animals programs and conservation, tells me that studies in the field show that the birds make use of water. Hopefully, they will here. The exhibit is situated on a steep hillside, enclosed with woven stainless steel mesh. From the top, the public can get close to the birds, should they be perched on that rockwork, and can see inside a rockwork “cave.” Below, a boardwalk offers terrific views of the birds above, of the nearby Andree Clark Bird Refuge and of the distinct mountains. Talk about prime Santa Barbara real estate! They’ll have the best views in town and some room to glide.

We’re all thrilled that condors are coming to our Zoo. They will really help us tell the story of the species in “our own backyards” and, hopefully, inspire our guests to help with the recovery of not only condors, but these other local species. We’ll keep you up to date as construction progresses. It will be about a year, start to finish, before California Trails opens.

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The breeding season here at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park usually begins in mid-January, but because of the recent wild fires and evacuation we were not sure how our breeding pairs would be affected. We were glad to finally see our first courtship display on Nov. 10, 2007. First thing in the morning on Feb. 5, we were thrilled to find Molloko eating bones and gulping water, the initial telltale signs that an egg is on the way.

Our second egg, produced by Nojoqui (condor 44) and Almiyi (condor 32), did not make us wait at all. Almiyi, the most prolific female of the California Condor Recovery Program, laid her 41st egg just over 25 hours after Molloko laid her 27th. The youngest female here at the Wild Animal Park laid our surprise third egg. This is only the second season that Simerrye (condor No. 221) and Ojja (No. 264) have been together as a pair. Last year Ojja laid her very first egg, and this year, on Tuesday, Feb, 12, she laid her second. Since we had observed her very eagerly eating on Sunday and playing with Simerrye in their pen on Monday, we were shocked when we found that she had laid an egg on Tuesday morning. Unfortunately this egg was not fertile, but we have great hope for this pair in the years to come.

Our largest male, Sisquoc (condor No. 28), and one of our smallest females, Shatash (No. 54), produced our fourth egg on Valentine’s Day. Sisquoc is quite an amazing bird and a very special condor for the Program. He was the very first California condor to hatch in captivity, and he makes sure we do not forget that. Their egg, we are happy to say is fertile.Valentine’s Day was quite an eventful day for us because our Baja mentor also laid that day. Itaxmay (No. 141) and the Baja cohort had to be relocated to the main condor facility because the wild fires that burned through the Wild Animal Park compromised their pen. Itaxmay’s hormones were probably set off by the presence of five adult males in her immediate vicinity. This is the first egg this 12-year-old female has ever laid.

Altogether we have seven breeding pairs here at the Wild Animal Park, and we are still very patiently and eagerly waiting for eggs from the other three pairs. We will just have to wait and see what the delay to the season does to our double clutching efforts this year. Our greatest hope is that it will not have a negative effect on our contribution to the population this year.

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The young birds were bred and hatched in captivity at the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho. The Peregrine Fund is a conservation organization that recovers endangered birds of prey around the world.

“It’s always a thrill to add more individuals to this growing flock, but these birds will face many challenges growing up, especially the danger of lead poisoning, their leading cause of death,” said Chris Parish, the Peregrine Fund biologist leading the recovery effort.

Condors are scavengers that sometimes feed on hunter-killed game animals, which frequently contain tiny fragments of lead that the birds ingest. The Peregrine Fund and Arizona Game and Fish Department have worked together the last three years to educate hunters about this potential danger and urge them to switch to non-lead bullets while hunting in condor territory.

In the fall 2007 hunting season, 80 percent of hunters helped reduce lead exposure in condors by using copper bullets or not leaving gut piles in the field, according to Arizona Game and Fish. That’s up from a 60 percent compliance rate in 2006. No condors died of lead poisoning last year, compared with four deaths in the 2006 season.

“We applaud hunters’ efforts in helping us recover the condor,” Parish said.

The doors to the pen where the young condors will be released to the wild will be opened at 11 a.m.

Driving directions: Take Highway 89A from Kanab or Page to the Vermilion Cliffs (from Flagstaff take Highway 89 to Highway 89A). Turn north onto BLM Road 1065 (a dirt road next to the small house just east of the Kaibab Plateau) and continue about 2 miles. There is a shade structure on the right side of the road.

Driving times: From Flagstaff, 2.75 hours; Fredonia, 1 hour; Page, 1.75 hours; Phoenix, 5 hours.

Bring: binoculars, sunscreen, water, snack.

BACKGROUND

• The Peregrine Fund will sponsor a conference in Boise, May 12-15, for biologists, health providers and representatives of the sporting industry to discuss the implications of ingesting lead ammunition on wildlife and humans.

Information: http://www.peregrinefund.org/Lead_conference/default.htm

• This is the 12th year that condor chicks have been released in Arizona.

• The Arizona flock currently numbers 65, including six condors that have been born in the wild since releases began in 1996. The Arizona birds have established territories primarily in the Grand Canyon and Vermilion Cliffs of northern Arizona and portions of southern Utah.

• The total number of endangered California Condors is 298, with 144 birds flying free in California, Arizona and Mexico. The birds were nearly extinct in the 1980s when 22 birds existed in the world.

• The condor is the largest flying land bird in North America. The birds can weigh up to 26 pounds and have a wingspan up to 9 ½ feet.

• Spring and summer are the best times to see condors flying free at the Grand Canyon.

• The condor reintroduction in Arizona is a joint project of many partners, including Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Peregrine Fund, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Kaibab National Forest and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

• For more information about California Condors, visit The Peregrine Fund Website at www.peregrinefund.org or the Arizona Game and Fish Department website at www.azgfd.gov/condor.

The Peregrine FundWorld Center for Birds of Prey

5668 W. Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, ID 83709

NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release

Feb. 19, 2008

www.peregrinefund.org

CONTACT

Susan Whaley, public relations coordinator

(208) 362-8274 direct, (208) 860-2641 cell

Bill Heinrich, species restoration manager

(208) 362-8276 direct, (208) 890-0163 cell

###

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Although this was a significant event, it wasn’t the first time a California condor hatched in captivity. From 1983 to 1986, the Wild Animal Park and the San Diego Zoo hatched fifteen condor chicks. So what made this sixteenth hatch any more important? The first fifteen chicks all hatched from eggs that were laid in the wild and then brought to San Diego to be artificially incubated and hatched in captivity. The sixteenth hatch marked the first time a California condor was produced in captivity!

IT BEGAN WITH AN EGG
Many people believed that once condors were removed from the wild, they wouldn’t breed in zoos. Fortunately, they were proven wrong on March 3, 1988 when a female condor named UN-1 laid the first fertile egg ever produced in captivity. UN-1 (which stands for “Unknown #1” – Biologists were unsure of her breeding history) was one of the original wild condors removed from the wild in 1985. Her mate, AC-4 (“Adult Condor #4”), was also removed from the wild in 1985. That was the first year the California Condor Recovery Team started trapping adult condors and bringing them into captivity. The reason for the trappings was that the wild condor population dropped down to only nine birds, with only one active breeding pair left. The belief was that if the condors didn’t get help through a captive breeding effort, they were in danger of going extinct. It took three years of getting to know each other, but AC-4 and UN-1 became one of the most important pairs of California condors!
Because we didn’t know how good their parenting skills were, their egg was put in an incubator and after 55 days the famous little egg began to hatch. Sixty hours after the chick pipped a hole in the shell some of the egg membranes were starting to dry out, indicating that she needed a little assistance getting out of the shell. An eight-person team of keepers and veterinarians mobilized to help her into the world and after 21 minutes of carefully picking away pieces of the shell, the chick was finally out. She was given the name Molloko (“MO-lo-ko”), which means “condor” in Maidu, a northern California Native American dialect.

A STAR IS HATCHED

Even before she finished hatching, Molloko was a star. Pictures of her egg were in newspapers everywhere. After hatch, the Zoological Society of San Diego was overwhelmed by requests for videos and pictures of her. Images of her hatch and her first feeding were broadcast on all of the major networks’ news shows. Letters of congratulations came from all over the world. Schools from Brattleboro, Vermont to Ventura, California sent drawings and “Welcome to the World” cards. Melissa Sweeney, a fourth-grader from Lippett School in Warwick, Rhode Island wished that Molloko would live for 200 years, while Amy Smith a second-grader from Ridgecrest School in Stanfield, North Carolina told Molloko to “eat a lot of mice and get strong.” For his Eagle Scout project, local Boy Scout, Jason Schmuckle, made some of the first condor puppets used to feed the newly hatched chicks to help to keep them from imprinting onto humans. The American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums bestowed upon the Zoological Society of San Diego the prestigious Edward H. Bean Award for the first captive breeding of the California condor. Not only was Molloko’s hatch a hopeful indicator to supporters and critics of the California Condor Recovery Program that breeding condors in captivity was possible, but it also became an event that rallied many people around the world to the cause of a critically endangered species. Molloko became the newest ambassador for wildlife conservation.

MOTHERLY MOLLOKO

When Molloko was two years old, she was housed with a four-year-old male condor named Nojoqui (“No-HO-wee”) with the hope that when they became mature, they would become a breeding pair. Usually, condors reach maturity at about six years of age, but Molloko, already a special and noteworthy bird, laid her first egg when she was only five years old. And to top off the good news, her first egg was fertile! This eventually hatched to produce a little female chick named Hoy (“HO-wee”). Nojoqui and Molloko were paired together for twelve years and they produced fourteen chicks. While paired with Nojoqui, Molloko laid the 100th egg in captivity as well as the earliest condor egg ever recorded! Normally, the Wild Animal Park gets its first condor egg each season in early- to mid-January. One year, Molloko surprised everybody by laying an egg December 24, 1998. No condor has ever laid an egg that early.
In 2003, based on genetic recommendations from the California Condor Recovery Team, Molloko was paired with a different male. His name is Xol-Xol ( “HOLE-hole”). Xol-Xol is another famous bird in the condor population. He was the very first condor brought into captivity under the Recovery Program when he was captured from the wild as a fledgling in 1982. They are still together as a breeding pair and, so far, have produced eight chicks.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

No one knows exactly how long a California condor can live, but the best estimate right now is 50-60 years; so Molloko is in the prime of her life at 20 years. In her life, she has laid 26 eggs, resulting in 22 chicks. She raised five of those chicks herself, while the rest were raised by keepers at the Wild Animal Park. Most of her chicks have been released to the wild and are flying free: eight are in central and southern California, four are in northern Arizona, and two are in Baja California, Mexico in the Sierra de San Pedro Martir National Park. Five more chicks live in captive breeding facilities at the Los Angeles Zoo, the Oregon Zoo, the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, and the Wild Animal Park.

Not to be outdone by their famous mother, Molloko’s kids were noteworthy as well. In 2001, one of her daughters, a bird known as Condor 111, became the first condor to hatch a chick in the wild since 1984. Since then, three more of her offspring have reproduced in the wild. Many people heard the good news in April 2007, when one of the condors released in Baja California flew north and crossed the border to fly through the Anza-Borrego desert to Lake Cuyamaca. That marked the first time a condor has flown in the skies of San Diego County in 97 years; the previous verified sighting was in 1910 at Palomar Mountain.

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Lead poisoning is not a new issue. For more than 2,000 years people have known that lead is toxic. Where there are direct threats to human health, the issue has been reasonably well addressed. Lead has been removed from paint, our gasoline and numerous other products.

Lead works by attacking the nervous system therefore neurological problems of enormous variety can occur. In humans these may include reduced cognitive abilities, lethargy, seizures and even comas.

In condors we generally see early effects of lead poisoning in the form ataxia (loss of balance and inability to fly). Later effects are generally a result of damage to nerves that control the digestive system. Loss of appetite and associated weight loss can occur rapidly. If not treated quickly, the damage to the nervous system is irreversible and leads to a slow and agonizing death.

Studies have shown that lead bullets defragment while passing through an animal. Consequently, animals eating this meat will unknowingly ingest bits of lead. This includes scavengers like bald eagles, bears, coyotes and wolves. In addition, humans eating the meat may also ingest lead fragments and potentially be exposed to many of the same problems as we see in birds.

Caught early, before damage to the nervous system, lead poisoning can be effectively treated with a chelating agent such as DMSA or EDTA. Sadly it is often not detected before it is too late in wild birds. The best solution is to be sure that birds, other wildlife and people are not exposed to lead in the environment at all.

Effects on Birds in California
Elevated levels of lead have been found in 44 percent of the condors released in Southern California and 21 percent of those released in Big Sur. A total of 94 free-flying condors disappeared or died between 1992 and August 2006. Of these, the cause of death has been determined for 61 condors, and 25 percent of these died of lead poisoning.

Effects of Birds in Arizona
Indications of lead exposure prior to the fall deer-hunting season were unremarkable, but after hunting began in late October, some 95 percent of the population showed evidence of exposure, 70 percent required treatment, and four birds died of lead poisoning. Four showed metal fragments in x-rays of their digestive systems.

What’s being done?
California Condor Recovery Team members closely monitor free-flying condors and conduct annual health examinations. If a condor is found to have high levels of lead in its blood, it is treated at a zoo veterinary medical center and released in its home territory.

Hunters are ensuring they properly dispose of “gut piles” (the intestines and vital organs they don’t want). This is where the majority of the lead fragments are found by birds.

Where can I get more information?
o Exposure of California Condors to lead from Spent Ammunition – Cade, TJ, 2007 - Journal of Wildlife Management http://www.peregrinefund.org/pdfs/ResearchLibrary/Cade%202007.pdf
o Lead Ammunition: Implications for Wildlife and Humans – Conference convened by The Peregrine Fund 12 – 15 May 2008
o UC Santa Cruz study http://www.cbse.ucsc.edu/news/2006/08/31/condor/index.shtml
o California Department of Fish and Game http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/condor/
o UC Davis Wildlife Health Center Report on lead toxicity in Condors prepared for the California Fish and Game Commission Wildlife Branch http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/whc/condors.cfm
o http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_poisoning

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Condor 79 was released in 1992 as part of the “red cohort” (condors with red I.D. tags on their wings), and was caught again several months later because of behavioral problems which included landing on power poles. Three out of the six “red cohort” condors died shortly after release, mainly due to collisions with power lines. After more behavioral problems, the remaining three birds were eventually returned to conservation programs. No. 79 would spend the next 12 years in the Los Angeles Zoo, where she would produce three offspring. She was finally released at Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge in November 2006.

In late fall of 2007, No. 247 began to show interest in Condor 79. No. 247 is a young male condor and a rising contender for dominance in the Southern California condor population. He was born at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park and released into the wild in August 2002. Other than being treated at Los Angeles Zoo in June 2003 for a leg injury, he has mostly remained a wild bird since his release. Condor 247 has come of age quickly and shown himself as a much more dominant bird in the last several years. This dominance has proved itself to be worthwhile with his courtship and pairing of the much older female condor 79.

Female condors are generally more interested in, and therefore more likely to mate with a more dominant male, which usually tends to be an older male. No. 79 is 15 years old and being the oldest female condor in the wild should have a wide range of males to choose from. Condor males usually don’t breed until their sixth year. Condor 247 is about six and a half years old, making this an unusual pairing between an older female and a young male.

Their first breeding attempt was successful by producing the first egg of this season in late January. Both birds have been sharing the duty of incubating the egg since being laid. Nest monitors from the Santa Barbara Zoo and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have been intensely watching the nest since it was found with the hope of preventing any problems before they become serious. This strategy was successful in the 2007 nesting season, with the 100 percent fledging of four wild condors.

Both the Santa Barbara Zoo team and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hope that this first nest of the season is a sign of good things to come for the rest of the breeding pairs of condors in California.

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