California Condor Conservation

San Diego Zoo Donates Money to Condor Fire Relief Fund

admin — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:07:13 +0000

California Condor Rises from the Ashes

Bird Keeper — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:33:56 +0000

It has been quite surreal and a nightmarish déjà vu for keepers here at the Wild Animal Park to see all that our Condor Partners from the Ventana Wildlife Society have been through in the last couple of months because of the Basin Fire in the Big Sur area.

It seems like it was just yesterday that we were walking through our incinerated Condor Facility after the Witch Creek fire, wondering a million and one “What Ifs” while at the same time feeling immensely thankful that were we able to get all our birds out in time. Those feelings of gratefulness were quickly followed by feelings of enormous uncertainty. What would we do with one less building? Would we still be able to house all of our birds? What would we do with our release candidates? Would we be ready for the fast approaching breeding season? These might not be the same questions that those at the Ventana Wildlife Society are asking themselves at this moment, but we imagine that the feelings behind their questions are pretty much the same as ours were.

All it took last October to again lift our spirits was to see the resiliency of these magnificent birds we work with and care for so passionately. They were a little dirtier that usual, having spent almost two days in their evacuation crates, but all were well. The Big Sur condors also have done remarkably well after all they have endured. One of the biologists from Ventana reported that ten of their condors found a dead sea lion that had washed ashore and were most likely going to spend the next week feasting on such a great find. With all the hard work the field crew does to ensure that these wild condors have enough food and water available to them, it must be priceless to see how well they are doing on their own in such challenging times.

Unfortunately, two young condors from the Big Sur flock were lost in the fire. The male, #278, was a parent-reared bird that hatched here at the Wild Animal Park during the 2002 breeding season, and the female, #377, was a parent-reared bird that hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo during the 2005 breeding season. This is quite a heartbreaking loss and our thoughts go out to those who watched over them in the field.

Although much was lost in these devastating fires, it is encouraging to see that the California condor recovery program is still going strong. Just as the structures that were lost at the Wild Animal Park are now being rebuilt, so will those that were lost in Ventana. Please consider making a donation to help the California condors rise again from the ashes by clicking here.

Xol-Xol - One of the Sky People

Ron Webb — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:12:13 +0000

In the spring of 1982, a condor hatched in the rugged wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest, in the Sespe Condor Sanctuary, just north of Fillmore, California. By the time it fledged, or left its nest, in late summer, only 22 California condors existed in the world. The California Condor Recovery Program decided to form a “captive flock” of condors at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park and the Los Angeles Zoo in the hope of breeding condors to be released back into the wild to help increase the size of the “wild flock.” The plan was to collect juvenile condors or wild-laid eggs to hatch in captivity (see Sespe’s blog entry from May 23, 2008). When these chicks and fledglings would reach maturity, the goal was to release their offspring to the wild.

The first condor brought in from the wild under the auspices of the California Condor Recovery Program was the aforementioned chick that hatched in 1982. It was trapped near its nest on Friday the 13^th of August 1982 and taken to the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park. It was given the name Xol-Xol (pronounced “Hole-Hole”), a Chumash word for “supernatural condor” or “one of the sky people.” The sex of Xol-Xol was unknown, but everyone was hoping it was a female. A male condor at the Los Angeles Zoo, named Topa-Topa, who had been living alone there since 1967 (before the Recovery Program began), needed a mate. After the test results came back confirming that Xol-Xol was male, Topa-Topa would have to wait a little longer for a mate.

Xol-Xol has lived almost his whole life at the Wild Animal Park; for 17 months, he lived at the Los Angeles Zoo. He has sired 25 condors, 15 with his first mate, Ojai (who now lives at the Oregon Zoo), and 10 with his current mate, Molloko (see Molloko’s blog entry from Feb. 22, 2008). Four of his offspring are part of the captive breeding program, while 11 others currently are flying free: 7 in California, 2 in Arizona, and 2 in Baja California, Mexico. He sired 2 chicks this year; one will be released in Mexico, while the other will be released in either Arizona or California. Xol-Xol has been very helpful in raising 6 chicks of his own over the years (with the help of his mates, of course!).

History was made when Xol-Xol was the first California condor to live at the Wild Animal Park, but some of his offspring have made news as well. The first condors to breed in the wild since 1986 did so in 2001. They were captive-reared birds released to the wild and survived to maturity. The male from that nesting was one of Xol-Xol’s sons! Since then, several of Xol-Xol’s kids have reproduced in the wild.

Another of Xol-Xol’s progeny will be more familiar to frequent Zoo blog readers. Remember, back in 2006 (blog entry Mar. 3, 2006), the condor from Arizona that was suffering from lead poisoning and needed a blood transfusion? A reader nicknamed the bird “Harry.” Well, Harry is one of Xol-Xol’s sons as well! (By the way, we hear that Harry is doing very well in Arizona these days.)

Lastly, in 2007, a condor released in Mexico flew across the border to become the first condor to fly in the skies of San Diego County for 97 years. The last confirmed sighting was near Palomar Mountain in 1910. You guessed it… the bird is a daughter of Xol-Xol’s!

San Diego Zoo Donates to Condor Partner

Karyl Carmignani — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:10:09 +0000

The San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park curator of birds delivered a $10,000 check to aid the Ventana Wildlife Society in its recovery from a devastating wildfire. A California condor formerly from the Wild Animal Park was lost in the fire.

“The Ventana Wildlife Society is one of our partners in the conservation of the California condor,” said Michael Mace, Wild Animal Park curator of birds. “To date, the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park has sent 34 condors for release to the condor sanctuary in Big Sur. Ventana’s success is as important as our success in reestablishing this critically endangered species in California.”

If you would like to support the rebuilding effort for the California condors at Ventana Wildlife Sanctuary, please visit their Web site at www.ventanaws.org. With your help, they will soar once again!

Two condors were lost and are presumed dead after a June wildfire burned for more than a month through Big Sur, California, where the Ventana Wildlife Society operates its condor sanctuary. Two birds have not been located since the fires began in June, including condor No. 278, a male that hatched at the Wild Animal Park.

“It’s hard to put a value on the loss of a 6-year-old male that was about to breed and an up and coming female,” said Joe Burnett, Ventana Wildlife Society senior wildlife biologist. “It’s devastating to lose any birds. We can rebuild the pens, but we can’t replace the birds.”

Big Sur is home to more than 40 wild condors, including mature condors that are now breeding in the wild. Three condor nests are within the burned area. Ventana Wildlife Society biologists entered two of the three nests, finding the chicks alive and healthy this week. The biologists suspect the third chick is also alive after observing the parents continuously returning to the nest. Unfortunately the fire’s aftermath created conditions that prevent the biologists from entering this nest.

The $10,000 donation from the San Diego Zoo will help replace equipment and supplies so that field biologists in Big Sur can continue to track the free-flying condors and monitor the nests. Contributions from individuals to the San Diego Zoo’s California Condor Relief Effort will help offset the Zoo’s donation and can be made by visiting the Zoo’s California Condor Conservation Website at www.cacondorconservation.org.

“Our whole goal is to get up and running without delay in our efforts to return the condor back into the wild so that it is once again self-sustaining,” said Kelly Sorenson, Ventana Wildlife Society executive director. “The Zoological Society of San Diego is playing a big part in helping us get back up and running.”

Searching for Condors in Big Sur - Part I

Yadira Galindo — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:26:31 +0000

Is that a condor?

After weeks of waiting for the right moment, I organized a trip to the Ventana Wildlife Society’s condor sanctuary with a photographer, videographer, and the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park curator of birds, Michael Mace. I wanted to see for myself the damage caused by the Big Sur wildfires in June, while Michael wanted to hand-deliver a $10,000 check from the San Diego Zoo’s California Condor Fire Relief fund to the Ventana Wildlife Society.

We arrived in Monterey on Tuesday, and after lunch we headed south on the picturesque Cabrillo Highway to Big Sur. I saw billows of white clouds cascading over the ocean like waves, while sea birds dove into the blue ocean water. The breeze was cool and refreshing. We were excited. It would be the first time I would see California condors free-flying in, get this–California! I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this majestic bird flying in Baja California, Mexico, on a number of occasions, but not in my own backyard! Shea, the videographer, had never seen condors free-flying; today I expected would be her first.

As we went further down the coastline, I spotted only brown pelicans, sea gulls, cormorants and a variety of other birds, but no condors yet. There are only about 40 condors in this vast wilderness, and there are many beautiful spots for the birds to perch—from redwoods to pines, mountains to cliffs overlooking the beaches. It was something I was happy to be doing myself, except I was taking it all in from the comfort of a moving 4×4. Knowing that there are plenty of choices for the birds, I didn’t expect to find them right away, but in our arsenal we had the locations of a few favorite spots for the condors.

As we continued our drive, we spotted a large black bird in the distance. Could it be? Get the binoculars! Darn. It was the one bird most often confused with a California condor, the turkey vulture. As we meandered past the scenic highway, the fire’s damage became apparent. Hillsides were charred and trees were dry and black. A group of large birds was perched on a pine tree. Condors are gregarious and are usually found in groups, so this is a good sign. Sigh. Again, we found them to be turkey vultures—or TVs as I affectionately began to call them. Time and time again we spotted TVs.

From a distance, when you see a TV in flight you have to look again before you recognize its familiar shape. The TV has a slight bend in its wings, while the condors wings are much straighter. If you’re close enough to see the white underneath the wing it’s a dead giveaway. The TV has white wing tips, it looks like it’s wearing gloves. The condor has a white triangle and its feather tips are black.

The disappointment was evident. Now when we saw a black bird we were certain it was a TV, and perhaps it became a self-fulfilling prophecy because each black vulture we saw had a small wingspan of six feet—turkey vulture—and not the nine-foot wingspan of the condor. We found ourselves leaving empty handed that day. We had beautiful images of a waterfall that drained onto a beach with waters as blue as the Caribbean. It was a perfect sunning spot, but even after visiting the condor’s “favorite” hangout spots, we saw none. We stopped in several spots. We did what you’re supposed to do, hang out patiently and look carefully in the trees. But alas, Shea would go another day without seeing a free-flying California condor. Sorry, Shea. Michael sighed and said he has never gone out in search of condors and returned home without seeing them. We are not going home yet, so we still have tomorrow, Michael. We still have tomorrow.

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San Diego Zoo Donates to Condor Fire Relief Fund

admin — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:57:19 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 22, 2008
CONTACT: PUBLIC RELATIONS
(619) 685-3291
WEB SITE: http://www.sandiegozoo.org

PRESS RELEASE

MISSING WILD CONDOR WAS FROM SAN DIEGO ZOO’S WILD ANIMAL PARK

BIG SUR, CALIF. — This week the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park curator of birds delivered a $10,000 check to aid the Ventana Wildlife Society in its recovery from a devastating wildfire. A California condor formerly from the Wild Animal Park was lost in the fire.

Big Sur is home to more than 40 wild condors, including mature condors that are now breeding in the wild. Three condor nests are within the burned area. Ventana Wildlife Society biologists entered two of the three nests, finding the chicks alive and healthy this week. The biologists suspect the third chick is also alive after observing the parents continuously returning to the nest. Unfortunately the fires aftermath created conditions that prevent the biologists from entering this nest.

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) 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 100-acre San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo’s Beckman Center for Conservation Research. 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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Big Sur Fire Update

admin — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:08:22 +0000

Two condors, a 6 year old and a 3 year old, are now presumed dead and haven’t been seen since the fire. We had picked up radio signals for one of these birds after the fire but now believe these were not actually from the radio transmitter on the bird and likely from some interference on the same channel. We are at least fortunate that all biologists and captive condors were safely evacuated before the fire burned the sanctuary.

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California condors to find new home in Santa Barbara

Yadira Galindo — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:15:42 +0000

The Santa Barbara Zoo will become only the second United States zoo where the public can view the critically endangered California condor on exhibit. Santa Barbara will join the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park which has been exhibiting the California condor since the year 2000.

On a Wing and a Prayer

Karyl Carmignani — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:05:59 +0000

With a wingspan of up to 9 1/2 feet and its penchant for soaring, there is no denying the majesty and grace of the California condor. They are symbolic of the San Diego Zoo’s conservation efforts and bi-national partnerships. Soaring silently over the landscape, condors remind us of the profound beauty and wildness in nature. They show us how human activities can quickly eliminate a species, but drastic science-based collaborations can help to bring them back from the abyss of extinction.

Condors deserve our respect and our best conservation efforts. Many readers know this creature in-depth, but some may not know just how fast and how high a condor can fly or how many eggs are in a clutch or the origin of the condor’s scientific name. Perhaps this lofty bird deserves a moment of our time to teach us some condor basics…and some really cool tidbits about their lifestyle.

DIET: The California Condor’s diet consists of medium and large-sized dead mammals like cattle, sheep, deer, and horses in any state of decay. Condors may travel several hundred miles in search of food.

REPRODUCTION: Condors nest in a cave or cleft among boulders on a cliff or hillside. The female will lay the single egg directly on the floor of the cave. The egg is incubated for 54 - 58 days. The young condor learns to fly in about 6 months, but will stay with its parents for several more months. The extended “childhood” of young birds prevents adult condors from breeding annually. California condors usually become sexually mature at 6 years of age.

NAME DERIVATION: The scientific name Gymnogyps californianus comes from the Greek word gymnast, meaning naked, and refers to the head; gyps is Greek for a vulture; and the Latinized word for California indicates the bird’s range. The name condor is from the Spanish word cuntur, and is the Inca name given to the Andean condor. California condors have also been called a California vulture.

Cool Facts

California Condors are social birds and they spend a great deal of time feeding and roosting together.
They were originally classified in the same genus as the Andean condor (V. gryphus), but, due to the Andean condor’s slightly different markings, slightly longer wings, and tendency to actually kill small animals to eat, the California condor has now been placed in its own monotypic genus.
They have been known to fly up to speeds of 90 km/h (55 mph) and as high as 4,600 meters (15,000 ft).They prefer to roost on high perches from which they can launch without any major wing-flapping effort. Often, these birds are seen soaring near rock cliffs, using thermals to aid them in keeping aloft.
The California Condor normally dominates other scavengers and usually does not hesitate to take a carcass away from smaller species. The exception is when a golden eagle is present. Although the condor weighs about twice as much as an eagle, the superior talons of the eagle command respect.
The California condor lays only one egg in a brood. The young is dependent upon the parents for more than one year, and consequently condor pairs usually breed only in every other year.
Young condors do not breed until they are six to eight years old, about the time they acquire full adult coloration.

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Big Sur Survives Big Fire

Karyl Carmignani — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:39:55 +0000

The Ventana Wildlife Society’s Condor Sanctuary, where seven young condors were awaiting release into the wild, was severely damaged by raging wildfires in June. Fortunately, staff scientists were able to evacuate the young birds along with their “mentor” condor before the flames swept through, but they lost all of the field pens in Big Sur for releasing the young condors along with important equipment. Biologists have been able to track the radio signals from all but one of the 43 free-flying adult condors in the central California region. Two nests that were near the blaze fared well, while one nest in a burned area was scorched and the fate of the chick is unknown.

Ventana Wildlife Society is nonprofit organization dedicated to releasing and managing condors in California. They need your help to rebuild the field pens and other structures that were lost in the fire. You can make a donation by visiting their Web site at www.ventanaws.org or call toll-free 877-897-7740. Help the condors rise again!