While California condor populations are rebuilding, these great birds have yet to return to anywhere near their former range, including Oregon. Out of these, lead poisoning and micro trash ingestion pose two of the largest threats to condors. Condors are also endangered by poaching, and collisions with power lines. Poisoning, pollution, development of habitat, and shooting continue to pose a perilous threat to the species. The condors' historical decline was a result of a high mortality rate paired with a low reproductive rate, and this combination still threatens them today.
#CONDOR BIRD FREE#
Captive breeding programs have since expanded, and utilizing condors' double- or triple-clutching ability, the number of California condors has been significantly increased: As of 2020, there are roughly 518 California condors in existence, with about 337 flying free in the wild (200 in California, 90 in Arizona and Utah, and 39 in Baja California, Mexico).ĭespite their comeback, California condors remain an endangered species and threatened by humans' habits. A captive breeding program began at the San Diego Zoo, and in 1992 two condors were reintroduced into the wild. Hoping to prevent complete extinction of the species, the last wild birds were captured in 1987. The condors' precipitous decline only continued: in 1987 only 22 California condors remained worldwide. In 1904, the last California condor was spotted in Oregon, and by the 1940's condors were found solely in the coastal mountains of California. With the pioneers came previously unknown threats to the condor such as loss of habitat, poisoning, and shooting. It is undeniable that the pioneers' arrival to the Western United States caused the drastic decline of the mighty California condor. After 6 months, the new condor is capable of flying, but it will remain dependent on its parents for up to one or two years, as it learns to forage and feed itself. The male and female condors take turns incubating the egg, a process that lasts for 54-58 days. Female condors lay only one egg every two years however, if an egg is lost, females will lay a replacement egg, referred to as double-clutching. Condors don't reach reproductive maturity until they are about 5-7 years of age. Reproduction for the California condor is a time-intensive process. Once found, condors may eat up to 3 or 4 pounds of food at a time, roughly a 1/4 of their body weight, and then may not eat again for several days. Condors have a poor sense of smell and therefore rely on their eyesight to find food. While condors will eat small rodents and rabbits, they prefer the carcasses of large mammals, and they require substantial areas of grassland and oak savanna that support populations of animals such as cattle, sheep, and deer. Indeed, condors do not have long talons capable of killing and grasping prey they do, however, have a long, sharp beak to tear meat from carcasses.
Condors keep themselves fastidiously clean: after eating they can spend several hours preening and cleaning their plumage in water pools, or if water is not available, on rocks, tree branches, and grass.Ĭalifornia condors are scavengers: they do not kill their own food, but consume dead animal carcasses. Their plumage is primarily black with the exception of white underwing markings. They possess a distinct pink, bald head and neck. Adult condors range from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 feet in height and have a wingspan of 9-10 feet across they are the largest land bird in North America. The California condor is a striking bird.
They require large areas of relatively remote land with rocky cliffs, tall trees, and snags to forage, roost, and nest. However, today these condors are only found in southern California and around the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona and southern Utah.
Historically, California condors occupied a range from British Columbia, Canada down to Mexico. Once eliminated from the wild, it is again possible to see California condors stretching out their mighty wingspan across the sky.
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