A Symbol of The Sky: Inspiring lasting change in an ever moving world Welcome to Condor Country! Join us as we take a journey to learn more about this extraordinary bird’s plight to recovery.
Our California condor story begins nearly 9,000 years ago and brings us to present times. You will find the time period on the bottom right hand corner in the following pages. We invite you to click on the links to learn more. Enjoy!
Soar Like A Condor Bald Beauties
California condors can travel over 200 miles in search of carrion each day. Deer, sheep, ground squirrels, cattle, and marine mammals make the menu. They can fill themselves and not eat for several days. They are fast, reaching speeds up to 50 mph! They can do this with their nine-and-one-half (9 ½) foot wingspan. Having a featherless head is easier to clean. They are very hygenic birds, and use water, nearby grass or rocks to keep their feathers pristine after feeding. Why do California condors have bald heads? Early Birds
If we look back a few thousand years these majestic birds could be found in many parts of North America. Fossils dating, back 9,000 years ago, found they soared the skies of California, Texas, and Florida. What favorable circumstances kept these twenty pound birds thriving? The abundance of big game and lack of human interference could have played a role...
California Condor 9,000 years Ago Condor Mythology
Native Americans across California would drape themselves in sacrificed condor skins when performing in dances. Others would make skirts from feathers, and whistles from the condor’s bones. Chumash cave art Flutes made out of Condors and vultures were wishbones thought to be able to find lost objects, with their keen eyesight. They were important for celestial events and were chosen for rituals associated with the planet mars. Wings of the Spirit Exploring New Lands
When early European settlers arrived the birds did not go unnoticed. A spanish explorer, Antonio de la Ascension sailed his ships into Monterey Bay and notated on one voyage,
"There are some other birds here of the shape of turkeys, the largest I saw on this voyage. From the point of one wing to that of the other it was Father Antonio de la found to measure seventeen spans". Ascension
He must have been bewildered by the sight of them. 1600s Artists Early Renditions
George Shaw, 1790s John James, 1830s Charles Cory, 1880s
California Condor: Past, Present, Future Spanish Settlers
New inhabitants moved in, bringing thousands of livestock and horses. Cattle were slaughtered for their hides and tallow and the meat was left by the carcusses providing a new food source for the birds. The low population of people on the Pacific Coast and large number of imported prey presented a considerable opportunity to feed.
1700s-1800s The Price of Gold
European populations skyrocketed as the Native population dwindled. The gold rush brought many people westward to condor country. They were heavily armed without much to do.
J. D. B. Stillman wrote, "Just before night, Mark [Hopkins] shot a large bird in the top of a tree, which we thought was a wild turkey. It was directly over our heads, and fell into the water alongside the boat. It measured nine feet from tip to tip of wings, and its head and neck were bare of feathers and of a yellow color.”
California Condor It is rumored that gold dust was put in quills from condor feathers. 1850s The Cost of Lumber
Condors in Coast Redwood
During and after the gold rush, redwood forests were being cleared for lumber. The birds must have been uprooted from this decimation of habitat as these trees were important nesting sites.
1800s-1900s In 1965, legendary Johnny Cash decided to go on Ring of Fire a fishing trip with his nephew in the Los Padres National Forest. All seemed well and good until an accidental fire sparked, destroying hundreds of acres of forest, and killing 49 condors. Cash claimed, “I don’t care about your damn yellow buzzards.” He was sued by the federal government.
California condors went on the U.S. endangered species list in 1967.
1960s Vintage News Birds & Bullets
Lead poisoning from spent ammunition remains the greatest threat to the full recovery of California Condors. Condors can be exposed to lead when ingesting fragments of spent ammunition in the carcasses they scavenge. The bullets fragment into tiny pieces upon impact. Hundreds of species suffer from the effects of lead poisoning. By switching to non-lead ammunition, hunters and ranchers are making a positive difference in California Condor recovery. Thanks to conservation efforts, lead bullets People who switch to non-lead ammunition were banned in January, 2020. such as copper bullets, can help with the conservation of many animals. Lead Bullet Risks for Wildlife & Humans On the Brink
There were only a few dozen condors left in the wild during the 80’s.
Biologists brought the remaining condors into captivity as an effort to rebuild the population, through breeding them.
1980s A Great Hatch The first condor that hatched in captivity was born a year after the last condor was captured in the wild in 1988. It’s amazing to think that these small fledglings will grow up to be the largest flying birds in North America!
1980s California Condor Flying Free
The first two captive born birds were released in California in 1992. Their names were Chocuyens, and Xewe. Chocuyens a Chumash word meaning valley of the moon, and Xewe which means to cast a shadow. Condors soar on long and broad wings with their “fingers” extended. They rarely flap their wings.
Chumash Indians believe that condors carry souls to heaven.
Several Chumash, came to the release to sing and dance, welcoming the birds to the open sky. In 1994, the captive breeding birds collectively laid 100 eggs, which was a great sign for the future. 1990s Four rare Condors Freed In The Wild Return to the Wild
There are five different sites where captive condors are released. Three sites are actually in California!
They include the Ventana Wilderness, Pinnacles National Monument, and the Sespe Condor Sanctuary.
Before release each condor is fitted with an ID tag and a radio transmitter for research. 2000s California Condor Recovery Program Big Sur Birds Nesting-In-Place
It’s hard to see the bright side of the COVID-19 pandemic, but good news can be said about our Big Sur condors. Astonishingly, nine chicks in nests have been sighted this spring, 2020.
This could be a record-breaking year for condor chicks, the record being nine nests total in 2015. When the backcountry re-opens, there might be a few surprise nests, not yet seen.
Condor Live Cam!
2020 The Condors Comeback Story
With the help and protection of conservationists, the wild and captive populations have been rising significantly. A count done in 2019 revealed that there were 337 condors in the wild and 181 condors in captivity for a total of 518 birds. Current anthropogenic (human-made) threats include lead poisoning, micro-trash and power-line collisions.
All of us can work on these issues to California Recovery Program ensure the health of these powerful birds.