Species at Risk
A California Condor Blessed Event
by Jeff Cilek, The Peregrine Fund
“It was amazing!” said Sophie Osborn, field manager for The
Peregrine Fund. “The chick was right on the edge of the nest cave
sitting on a rock, preening and looking around. . .the setting so timeless,
remote, and magnificent that I wondered how it could be the only one of
its kind in such a vast, tremendous place.”
Biologists from Grand Canyon National Park and The Peregrine Fund had
suspected that Condors 23 and 27 were incubating an egg. In May 2003,
the pair’s behavior changed—they became very attentive to
the nest, switching nest duty on a daily basis. It was believed that the
presence of a nestling would cause such a behavioral modification. Due
to the location and depth of the nest, however, the only way to confirm
the existence of a chick was to wait until it was old enough to move to
a location in the nest where it could be seen. This made it impossible
to pinpoint the newcomer’s exact age.
The sighting was confirmed after an arduous 24-mile hike in 100-degree
heat to observe the nest. The biologists spotted the feathered chick at
the edge of the nest cave near the top of a 400-foot cliff in one of the
canyon’s drainages. The young bird appeared to be healthy and was
estimated to be 15 to 16 weeks of age.
"This is truly what wildlife reintroductions are all about—natural
reproduction in the wild," said Arizona Game and Fish Department
Director Duane Shroufe. “This is the end result for which everyone
has been working so diligently.”
Chad Olson, raptor technician for the National Park Service chimed in:
“It was great to see such a healthy, energetic chick. It was alert
and active. After the female fed it, it bounced around the cave like a
little rabbit. It was an indescribable feeling to see the first condor
chick in Arizona in more than 100 years in a setting like the Grand Canyon.”
This is the last of three nests that biologists were monitoring in Arizona
in 2003. Two other nests produced eggs, but neither were successful. In
California, one egg was laid and hatched in early May 2003.
The California condors are being released as a "non-essential/experimental
population" under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act. However,
in Grand Canyon National Park, condors are provided full protection as
a federally listed species. This authority has been spelled out further
in an innovative agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and local governments, wherein a positive working relationship is delineated.
It is, indeed, a time for celebration. You can be a virtual celebrant
by visiting The Peregrine Fund’s Web site at www.peregrinefund.org.
Regular updates on California condor happenings are provided in the site’s
“Notes from the Field.”
For more information, contact Jeff Cilek, Vice President, The Peregrine
Fund, 5668 W. Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, Idaho 83712, (208) 362-3811, jcilek@peregrinefund.org.
California Condor: Up Close and Personal
Population low: 22 in 1982
Current population: 223
Life span: unknown, possibly 60 years
Wingspan: up to 9.5 feet
Weight: averages 16 to 23 pounds
Body length: 46 to 55 inches
Range: historically, from British Columbia south to northern
Baja California and in other parts of the southwestern United States
Maturity: 5 to 6 years of age; breeding likely begins
between 6 to 8 years of age
Reproduction: one egg every other year, average 56 days
for incubation
Young: fledge at 6 months
Sexes: similar
Feeding: scavengers
Major threats: shooting, chemical poisoning, lead poisoning,
collisions with power lines
California Condor Reintroduction Partners
The Peregrine Fund
Arizona Game and Fish Department
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
National Park Service
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