The latest eggs arrived Monday, March 10, laid by Tama and No. 147. The females and their mates, Mandan and No. 137, will sit on the eggs until keepers remove them to test for fertility.

“The eggs will be naturally incubated for 10 to 14 days,” said Shawn St. Michael, zoo assistant curator. “Then they will be pulled, candled, put into an incubator and replaced with dummy eggs.”

When the chicks start to hatch, at about 57 days, keepers switch the eggs back, so the chicks will hatch under their parents.

Condor keepers have determined that the first two eggs of the season are fertile. These eggs, laid by No. 174 and Salu, are now in an incubator. The hens are currently sitting on dummy eggs, which may be removed if keepers decide to encourage the condors to mate again (called “double clutching”).

Last year was a record-breaking one for condors in Oregon. Seven eggs were laid, including two by condor pairs who had never produced eggs before. Unfortunately, an abundance of eggs does not guarantee an abundance of chicks, and only three condor chicks hatched.

The zoo’s condor recovery efforts take place at the Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation, located in Clackamas County on Metro-owned open space. The remoteness of the facility minimizes the exposure of young condors to The Jonsson Center is currently home to 19 adult condors. The center has produced 15 eggs since it was established and 10 chicks have hatched.

In 2001, the Oregon Zoo became the third zoo in the nation to join the California Condor Recovery Program. California condor captive-breeding programs are also operated at San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, the Los Angeles Zoo and the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey. The Oregon Zoo was the recipient of The Wildlife Society’s Conservation Award for “creating the nation’s fourth California condor breeding facility” in April 2005.

For more information about the Oregon Zoo’s California condors, visit
http://www.oregonzoo.org/Condors/index.htm.

Condors, the largest land birds in North America, have wingspans of up to 10 feet and weigh 18 to 30 pounds. They are highly intelligent and inquisitive, often engaging in play. Their range extended across much of North America during the Pleistocene Era, which ended about 10,000 years ago. By 1940, that range had been reduced to the coastal mountains of Southern California, and in 1967 condors were added to the first federal list of endangered species. In 1987, the 17 condors remaining in the wild were brought into captivity and a captive-breeding program was developed.

The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles and Kincaid’s lupine. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63 to the Oregon Zoo. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238 RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo’s Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $1 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.
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Tatoosh, Ursa and Wiley are slated for a March 15 release at the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona. Meriwether will be released at a later date.

Last year was a record year for Oregon Zoo condors: An unprecedented seven eggs were laid, including two by condor pairs who had never produced eggs before. Unfortunately, an abundance of eggs doesn’t guarantee an abundance of chicks; three eggs were infertile and a fourth proved to be unviable partway through incubation. The low fertility was likely due to the number of young females in the program. California condors don’t reach sexual maturity until about 5 to 7 years of age.

The condor recovery goal is to establish a captive population of 150 birds and two separate wild populations of condors, one in California and the other in Arizona. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Condor Recovery Program coordinate and implement the recovery program and provide oversight of all program partners.

The Oregon Zoo’s condor recovery efforts take place at the Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation, located in rural Clackamas County on
Metro-owned open space. The remoteness of the facility minimizes the exposure of young condors to people, increasing the chances for captive-hatched birds to survive and breed in the wild.

The Jonsson Center is currently home to 19 adult condors. The 7 eggs last season made a total of 15 since the center was established, and 10 chicks have hatched.

In 2001, the Oregon Zoo became the third zoo in the nation to join the California Condor Recovery Program. California condor captive-breeding programs are also operated at San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, the Los Angeles Zoo and the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey. The Oregon Zoo was the recipient of the Wildlife Society’s Conservation Award for “creating the nation’s fourth California condor breeding facility” in April 2005.

Condors, the largest land birds in North America, have wingspans of up to 10 feet and weigh 18 to 30 pounds. They are highly intelligent and inquisitive, often engaging in play. Their range extended across much of North America during the Pleistocene Era, which ended about 10,000 years ago. By 1940, that range had been reduced to the coastal mountains of Southern California, and in 1967 condors were added to the first federal list of endangered species. In 1987, the 17 condors remaining in the wild were brought into captivity and a captive-breeding program was developed.

For more information about the Oregon Zoo’s California condors, visit www.oregonzoo.org/Condors/index.htm.

The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles and Kincaid’s lupine. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63 to the Oregon Zoo. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238 RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo’s Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $1 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by
calling 503-226-1561.

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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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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 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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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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• Note taking technique and observation protocol.
• Ethogram and behavior identification.

Volunteers who are interested in becoming a California condor nest monitor are required to attend one of these trainings. 2007 monitors who wish to continue into the 2008 season are also required to attend one of these trainings.

More about the project:
In addition to completing training in our monitoring and data collection protocols, nest monitors will spend long hours in the field in inclement conditions and, depending on nest site location, may be required to hike and camp in the backcountry. Monitors will be required to use their own vehicle for travel to, from, and in the field. Volunteers are sought who can commit to regular observation days (minimum two/month) over the full breeding season of six to eight months.

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Con esta entrega, la Dirección General de Zoológicos y Vida Silvestre, organización que opera el Zoológico de Chapultepec, se ha convertido en el más reciente socio del programa para recuperación del Cóndor de California. Dicho programa tiene 27 años en operación y es administrado por el U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. Antonio Graza, embajador de Estados Unidos en México, realizó la entrega oficial de los dos cóndores al Jefe de Gobierno capitalino Marcelo Ebrard Casaubo.

“La participación del zoológico de Chapultepec hará posible la concientización pública sobre los esfuerzos para conservar al Cóndor de California en México”, afirmó Steve Thompson, gerente de operaciones del USFWS en California y Nevada. “Este programa es un ejemplo perfecto de una exitosa participación binacional y le damos la bienvenida al Zoológico de Chapultepec al Programa de Recuperación del Cóndor de California.”

México ha sido parte del programa desde el 2002, año en que se liberaron varios cóndores en la Sierra de San Pedro Mártir en Baja California, sin embargo esta es la primera vez documentada que un zoológico mexicano cuenta con cóndores de California. Por muchos años, el zoológico de Chapultepec ha trabajado diligentemente con cóndores de los Andes, los primos suramericanos de la especie californiana.

“La llegada de los Cóndores de California al Zoológico de Chapultepec representa una gran responsabilidad y a la vez una gran oportunidad para dar a conocer (a los más de 5 millones de visitantes al año) esta especie que se extinguió en vida libre y que gracias a los esfuerzos de los Estados Unidos y de México, se logró mantener viva en cautiverio para su posterior reintroducción en su lugar de origen en ambos países”, comentó Fernando Gual Sill, director general de la Dirección General de Zoológicos y Vida Silvestre de la Ciudad de México.

El San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park envió dos cóndores, un macho nacido en el Wild Animal Park en 1993 y un segundo macho que nació en Los Angeles Zoo en 1996. El plan inicial es que los cóndores sean emisarios de la conservación, conforme los visitantes al zoológico los observan por primera vez. Más adelante se vislumbra la posibilidad de que el Zoológico de Chapultepec también opere como una unidad de reproducción. Actualmente se cuenta con cuatro instalaciones para la reproducción de los Cóndores de California, incluyendo el Wild Animal Park, los zoológicos de Los Ángeles y Oregon, así como The Peregrine Fund’s Center for Birds of Prey en Boise, en Idaho.

“El envío de estos cóndores al zoológico de Chapultepec es un paso más de colaboración entre Estados Unidos y México, en nuestro esfuerzo para asegurar la sobrevivencia de esta especie en crítico peligro de extinción”, dijo Michael Mace, responsable de aves en el San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park. “La siguiente fase consiste en ayudar al Zoológico de Chapultepec a desarrollar un centro de reproducción y entrenar al personal que lo maneje, con la esperanza de criar cóndores en ese zoológico para futura reintegración a la vida silvestre en Baja California.”

El Programa de Recuperación del Cóndor de California opera a base de sociedades de iniciativa pública y privada. El programa de recuperación está a cargo del U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service en cooperación con la Zoological Society of San Diego, Los Angeles Zoo, The Peregrine Fund, Oregon Zoo, y socios mexicanos que incluyen el Instituto Nacional de Ecología, la Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas y el Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, y ahora también la Dirección General de Zoológicos y Vida Silvestre, entre otros.

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The Dirección General de Zoológicos y Vida Silvestre, which operates the Chapultepec Zoo “Alfonso L. Herrera,” became the newest member of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 27-year-old California Condor Recovery Program as U.S. Ambassador Antonio Garza presented the condors to Mexico City Mayor Mare Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon.

“The Chapultepec Zoo’s participation will greatly increase the public awareness of California condor conservation efforts in Mexico,” said Steve Thompson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) California and Nevada operations manager. “This program is an example of a truly successful binational partnership, and we welcome the Chapultepec Zoo to the California Condor Recovery Program.”

Although Mexico has been a partner in the recovery program since 2002 when the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir condor release site in Baja California, Mexico became operational, this is the first documented California condor in any of Mexico’s zoos. The Chapultepec Zoo has, however, worked diligently with Andean condors, the larger South American cousin of the California species, for many years.

“The arrival of the California condors to the Chapultepec Zoo represents a great responsibility and at the same time a great opportunity to present (to more than five million visitors a year) this species that once became extinct in the wild,” said Fernando Gual Sill, M.V.Z. M.Sc., Dirección General de Zoológicos y Vida Silvestre de la Ciudad de Mexico general director. “Thanks to the efforts of the United States and Mexico, this species was kept alive in zoos for a future reintroduction to its native habitat in both countries.”

The San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park sent two condors, one male hatched at the Wild Animal Park in 1993 and a second male hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo in 1996. The initial plan is for the birds to act as conservation education emissaries as visitors to the Chapultepec Zoo observe the birds for the first time. In the future, the Chapultepec Zoo may also become a breeding facility. Currently there are four facilities breeding California condors, including the Wild Animal Park, Los Angeles and Oregon zoos and The Peregrine Fund’s Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho.

“Sending California condors to the Chapultepec Zoo is another collaborative step between the United States and Mexico in our attempts to insure the survivorship of a critically endangered species,” said Michael Mace, Wild Animal Park curator of birds. “The next phase includes working together to assist the Chapultepec Zoo staff in developing a breeding center and cross training staff with the hope of raising condors at the zoo for future release in Baja California.”

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The female bird flew from the California condor release site in the Sierra San Pedro de Martír National Park in Baja California, Mexico along the Sierra Juarez mountain ridge Tuesday. She flew past the U.S. border along the Jucumbra Mountains Wednesday and was last documented in the Anza-Borrego area through GPS. Condor 321 was hatched at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park and released in 2005.

The Zoological Society of San Diego, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Mexican government, began a reintroduction program in Baja California, Mexico in 2002 led by Dr. Wallace through the center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES), the Zoological Society’s research division. With condor 321 now in the U.S., 10 condors are flying free in Mexico, with five birds waiting for release next month.

California condors disappeared from Mexico in 1937. The goal of the California Condor Recovery Program is to establish two independent populations of California condors. Condors released in Central California and the Baja California birds are expected to eventually become one population. To date, the Central California birds have flown as far south as the San Bernardino mountains. The second population of birds is being established in Arizona.

The public can help researchers if a sighting is made by e-mailing the location of the condor, its identifying tag number, and what the bird was doing to the Zoological Society at condors@sandiegozoo.org. However, it is important to note that the California condor is a critically endangered species and is protected by the federal government. The public should not interact with it or inhibit its actions. Human interaction can interfere with its return to San Diego’s wilderness.

On March 24, biologists in Mexico discovered another momentous milestone, the first California condor egg laid in Mexico since their reintroduction.

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