Ventana Wildlife Society - Condor Reintroduction Field Notes

Fall proved to be an emotional season here in Big Sur, with much to remember and much to celebrate. The lead poisoning event, though over, is still heavy in our minds with the loss of condor #303, a female who had nearly completed her first breeding season with her mate, #313. Condor #303 was first released into Big Sur as a yearling in October 2004, after having been captive-reared at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. In the fall and winter of 2008, she was courted by two males, #286 and #313. It seemed inevitable that she would choose #286, as they were observed investigating possible nesting sites, but as he became ill and eventually lost his own battle with lead poisoning, #303 paired with #313.

Lead takes only a short time to act, and has powerful effects in even minute quantities; the condor crew at Pinnacles National Monument acted as soon as #303 showed signs of erratic behavior and moved to make a capture. She was so sick when taken into captivity, that she was literally picked up off the ground near her nest and awaiting chick, the lead having caused paralysis in her legs. The staff of the Los Angeles Zoo worked tirelessly for over two weeks to restore her waning health, but the toxicity was too much and she was lost. Had she been so adversely affected even a couple weeks earlier, her mate would very likely not have been able to provide for their chick, and it too, would have then died. Fortunately, with #514 fledged and needing a little less attention, #313 is able to juggle life as a single parent. Condor #303’s story only too well emphasizes the appalling impact of lead contamination and the importance of a lead free environment.

Nearly half of the condors that call Big Sur and Pinnacles home were taken into captivity as a result of this single lead poisoning event. Working with the condor crew from Pinnacles National Monument, the VWS condor biologists were able to capture and test each bird; the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic in Monterey offered support and treatment, and the staff of the Los Angeles Zoo worked valiantly, monitoring the captive birds and treating them until full recovery; and finally the US Fish and Wildlife officials investigated the toxic feeding site to prevent future occurrences. With everybody’s hard work and devotion to the condors, the flock was able to successfully return to the wild skies.

Perhaps, as love (or hormones) fills those wild skies, two wandering souls have found each other! Pairs have been witnessed strengthening their bonds, and two birds of particular interest have been observed courting. Male condor #251 and female #306, both of whom previously only had eyes for birds already paired, may be perfect for each other! After all, it was the same pair, female #222 and male #204, they each were following!

With the coming of the winter rains, it often becomes harder to see the condors, which, much like us, prefer to stay under cover and dry. Unfortunately, sometimes this can cause a bit of worry, and this December, much of that worry went out to one of our fledgling chicks, #501. Biologists spent an extra amount of time searching for this little girl through wind, rain, and cold. What a relief when she was found comfortably perched in a favorite redwood, enjoying a beautiful sunny view!

Condor biologists were given an especially exciting surprise for Christmas this year; the first of our 2009 chicks, #499, flew in with Dad, #167, to enjoy a Christmas feast at the release site with the extended family. Arriving on Christmas Eve, #499 was observed on the 25th feeding alongside many condors, most of whom she was meeting for the first time. At one point, she was even seen exchanging preens with #470, a juvenile who fledged in 2008, making friends and taking an important step to joining the flock.

November kicked off to a great start as we welcomed a volunteer group from the Santa Barbara Zoo to Basecamp. The 8 volunteers and some of the crew were able to get many projects done, including painting the bunkhouse, organizing tools, and cutting a new trail to the water pump. Beautiful weather, good food, and breathtaking sunsets made the trip even more enjoyable. A good time was had by all and we are so thankful for their hard work and positive attitudes!

The second round of trapping is finally at an end, with the capture of the last bird. Although it has been challenging to catch the birds again, we are glad we did because several had high lead levels. These condors visited the LA Zoo this month to receive chelation treatment. This process involves injecting the condors with a calcium-based substance that helps push the toxic lead out of their bodies, and takes 1-2 weeks. Once their levels drop, we drive down and retrieve the birds, then release them back into the wild. Despite the worry and stress during these times, it is a wonderful feeling to see the birds back in the wild and healthy.

It has been fun watching the progression of the 2009 wild chicks this month. As they grow more comfortable in the sky, we have observed up to 20 minute flights! They typically fly with their parents, and you can easily pick out the clumsy chick flying below the more experienced adult condor. We anticipate their skills to be honed in well enough to visit our backcountry release site and meet the other condors by January. It is always interesting to see the wild chicks interact with the rest of the flock for the first time.

Even the juveniles from the 2008 nesting season are making a splash, becoming more confident and venturing through the skies on their own. These two youngsters, 470 and 477, are frequently seen jostling for position at feeding sites and taking a place in the condor hierarchy! This leaves the parents free to strengthen bonds and prepare for a new nesting season.

There are still, too, several eligible bachelors and bachelorettes flying around out there! Who will find a mate in the New Year? The condor crew is speculating wildly about which unpaired, but sexually mature, condors will bond. Is female 298 destined for male 242, or will female 311 capture his condor eye first? With 9 males and 7 females on the lookout, it will surely be an interesting winter affair!

Big Sur was rinsed clean this month with a monster storm that accrued 15 inches of rain at the condor sanctuary! The crew was able to return to camp after clearing several large Ponderosa pines from the road, and the damage to the road was minimal. The condors fared the storm well, and mostly hunkered down for the duration. The rise in the river was substantial, almost 9 feet during the peak of the storm. This caused the state park to close and our office was not in working order for several days. Within 24 hours the sun was shining again and the earth seemed to absorb the rain gladly.

As we concluded our annual trapping efforts in September, we noticed several condors with elevated lead, which initiated a second round of trapping. We have begun the second round this month and have managed to re-catch and process about 1/3 of the central California flock. Fortunately we began round two, for many of the birds handled so far have shown lead exposure. We suspect that the birds have discovered an unsafe food source, and trapping them again is our only way to ensure they are treated before it is too late. We currently have 4 condors in captivity with suspected lead poisoning, and will continue to test the flock until we know everyone is safe. The hard work by the LA Zoo keepers and staff at the Avian and Exotic clinic are invaluable in their efforts to help treat these birds. We cannot thank you enough! Keep your fingers crossed that these condors will recover and they will be in the wild again soon.

Observers all over California have noticed a dramatic rise in the number of dead blue whales floating offshore of California. A keen eyed biologist noticed a young whale just offshore of the Big Sur southcoast. It was towed ashore by state officials to establish cause of death. The south coast blue whale was found to have died from collision with a ship. While we are concerned at the accelerating rate of death for the whales, we have noticed the condors flying over the area where the whale is beached. If some of our condors were to find a deceased whale and feed on it, we would be relieved that some tiny benefit resulted from the death of such an exceptional creature.

The condor crew is speculating wildly about which female most eligible bachelor #242 will choose. He is our oldest and most dominant unpaired male. Since condor females have a tendency to prefer males at least one year older than they are, there are a number of available females keeping their lovely red eyes focused on #242. There are 9 younger and less dominant males waiting “in the wings” to console those beauties not selected by #242. If this sounds like a reality TV show, be reassured that condors have no use for hokey rose ceremonies. Condor pairs form a bond that lasts their lifetimes, and their commitment to one another is cemented by a stately ceremonial mating dance performed by the male. We should have a pretty good guess at 242’s choice at the season finale! Until Next time...

Our annual trapping effort has been in full swing this month, as we work toward capturing all of the condors in central California, for the purpose of drawing blood and changing radio transmitters. The crew has been spending much of their time hunkered down in a blind, awaiting the arrival of birds that need to be trapped. Luckily the weather is cooling off, as days in the blind can be difficult in the heat! We have been quite successful thus far, with only handful of birds left to capture in October. While we have the birds in hand, we test their blood to check for elevated lead levels, to ensure they are not lead poisoned. There have been a few elevated levels, and most of these birds have been treated with chelation therapy and released back into the wild. One Pinnacles bird, 112 came in with very high lead levels and was transported to LA Zoo for extensive treatment and monitoring. Thankfully, the majority of the flock has been healthy, as demonstrated by their feistiness when trying to handle them, and quickly returned to the wild.

The birds have been getting their fill of sea lions this month, with five carcasses washing ashore for them to feast on. We have noticed that certain birds especially have an affinity to the marine mammals, and we regularly see them on the beach feeding on what nature has provided. After a fat sea lion dinner, many of the birds enjoy resting on the cliffs near Coast Highway One, digesting their meal and preening their large feathers.

The Condor Crew is still monitoring our wild nests, four this year in central California. We were able to radio tag three of the four chicks, in order to follow them closely as they approach fledging. Two chicks fledged this month! Condor chick 499 fledged on September 22nd and condor chick 501 on September 30th. Both left their nests and landed in a nearby redwood trees well off the ground. These were ideal fledges, as both birds are safely off the ground away from predators, and being up so high will allow them to jump through the trees with ease. Both sets of parents keeping are keeping a close eye on them, and staying nearby to ensure their offspring’s safety. Condor chicks fledge anywhere between 5 and 6 months of age, so the timing for these chicks is just right. We now will anticipate the other chicks fledging soon, which is a very exciting time for us. Our main concerns are that when they roost at night that they are off the ground and their parents are still tending to them. We will most likely have news on the other chicks in our October update.

VWS also hosted a number of tours this month, with private visitors as well as members of The Wildlife Society, and participants at the Monterey Bay Bird Festival. All of the tours were outstanding and visitors were able to view condors in the wild, which was a dream come true for many. We continue to host our second Sunday condor tours throughout the winter for interested parties.

The condor crew gained a new member this month, Elisa Weiss, from Bellingham, WA. We are excited to have her, as we know this winter will be busy and extra help is always appreciated. As the weather gets cooler and rainier, many maintenance projects will resume and our search for the nests of 2010 will begin before we know it. Thanks for joining us, Elisa, and welcome!!

On two different Sundays this month, we had groups of volunteers pick up trash at some of Big Sur’s most popular wildlife overlooks along Highway 1. We cannot express how much we appreciated the assistance of the kind people who showed up to make a difference. Thousands of people visit Big Sur’s scenic pullouts to take in the panoramas, and a revoltingly high number of them leave trash behind. We actually watched people throw down cigarette butts on pullouts as we finished cleaning them up.

The locals down here in Big Sur are discussing whether this will be a big winter and the phrase “El Nino” has been wafting around. What we can say for sure is that the ocean temperature is warmer than normal, and that this August was so very foggy that it was lovingly nicknamed “Fogust” by local wisecrackers. We have noticed that the local sea lion population is at least twice normal levels. The condors have already found more dead marine mammals this year than the past 3 years combined. There are a few condors, like youngsters #438 and #477 “Phoenix”, who are surviving exclusively off the generosity of the tides.

Three of the four central California nests were entered this month to assess the health of the nestlings (#499, #501 and #514) and to attach identification tags and transmitters. In the next month or so, these 3 nestlings will be learning how to fly. The transmitters will help us follow them as they take their first flights away from the nest. Fledging is a grand word, with a flavor of a young bird conquering the air. The truth is a lot more wobbly than that. Our knuckles are often white as we watch these unpolished flights, followed by improvised landings. We have plans to check on the 4th nestling next month

For an adult condor, female #236 is pocket sized. Compared to a Turkey Vulture, she is enormous, but in a group of other condors she can often be identified without looking at her wing numbers by her dainty frame and shorter stature. This ballerina of the condors is subject to the same responsibilities and dangers as the rest of the flock. She’s been paired with hulking male #209 for the last couple of years, and they are currently raising their first chick in a wild nest. It’s a never-ending job, finding enough food for her rapidly growing chick. In the midst of her first breeding season, when her chick needed her the most, 236 fell ill with lead poisoning and required veterinary care. The treatment for lead poisoning is a series of injections which help the condor excrete the poison. In this case, we gave her only 1 injection and so we could get her back out in the wild swiftly so the health of her chick was not damaged by her absence. After a brief adjustment period, she flew back to her chick and resumed her parental duties. It is always the small ones that surprise you with their strength and resilience.

Intern John Ludka left VWS after 5 months of contributing to our Species Recovery and Conservation Ecology programs. His relaxed personality and ability to think about our challenges at the ecosystem level have already been missed. He and his coworker, Evan Shanbrom, hiked through tanbark tangles up a scorching 50% grade to locate a missing condor. We bet they wished they had wings the whole way up! We wish John the best and look forward to congratulating him on his next accomplishment. ~Jessica Koning

When people think of summer in big sur, the mental images conjured up are of turbulent turquoise water smashing over rocks, sheer hills covered with a complicated mosaic of green, gold and brown, and great fluffy banks of fog charging up redwood canyons. What they don’t think of is the tremendous amount of trash blanketing the Highway 1 corridor this time of year.

Where does this trash come from? Some of it is an accident. The pullouts with the most breathtaking views are also the windiest. One pullout in particular is nicknamed the “Hat Graveyard” by locals, because so many people admiring the views there have had their caps pilfered by the winds. Also, the highway leaves little margin for error. Small pieces of automobiles, especially taillights, are frequently seen. Some litter results from sheer urgency. Bathrooms are few and far between south of the Big Sur Valley. Toilet paper dots the bushes, and the aromas are not of sage and sea.
People who casually litter are unlikely to browse Ventana Wildlife Society’s website. The audience we reach is the sort that leaves only footprints. But we sing out to the choir that we collect 25 pounds a week of the following: bottle caps, shards of plastic cutlery, cigarette butts, aluminum cans, food wrappers and glass or plastic bottles. Sounds like merchandise from a convenience store.

Why are condor biologists scouring scenic highway one and cleaning up trash? The answer: Trash can be ingested by condors. We believe condors have certain periods in their lives when they need mineral supplements. Condors ingest small pieces of mineral-rich rock or bone, natural “pills”. These are often brittle and light in color. They can quite closely resemble small pieces of light colored glass, plastic, cardboard or metal. We are picking up all this trash because the condors are mistaking our litter for something they need, and it is killing them. Just this month we made the grimmest of discoveries when we found the dead remains of a wild condor chick on Big Creek Reserve. The chick was found at the base of its Redwood nest tree, lying face down in the brush. Upon examination we discovered the chick’s stomach was completely clogged with a matted ball of trash and animal hair. The trash included a penny (which are extremely toxic to birds), an unknown metal fragment, and multiple shards of glass from broken bottles. ..a major setback in such a year of incredible growth for the flock. The good news is that the other pairs in Big Sur haven’t had trash issues thus far and our three surviving wild chicks should continue to prosper.

We’ve heard similar stories about albatross dying from eating trash. We ponder the sad truth that whatever trash the condors don’t eat, winds up in the ocean for the albatross. We can take more than one approach to this ongoing problem. VWS has made a commitment to continue picking up trash in areas frequented by condors, but we would also like to find ways to make proper disposal more convenient for tourists and visitors to Big Sur. We will keep you posted, please tune in to www.mycondor.org for blog posts and condor profiles. Until next time…

This month, two of our condor biologists, Mike Tyner and Joe Burnett, pierced deep into the most inaccessible parts of the backcountry to find our fourth nest of the year in Big Sur (and five overall for central California with additional nest near Pinnacles). June has the longest days of the year, and they needed every minute of light to hike in, find the nest, and trek back out again in one very long adventure. The timing of their hike couldn’t have been better. They were able to see the male parent clash with a golden eagle in the area, and then saw him enter the nest. It was a cave on a vertical cliff face. Some of our other condor nests are feasible to enter with advanced climbing skills and gear. This one is much more challenging, and we will not attempt to enter it with our current equipment. We can tell from the parents’ behavior that there is a chick inside the nest, but we may not be able to see the chick until it leaves the nest.

We continue to monitor the other three nests in the Big Sur area. The chicks (all females!) are about 3 months old and approximately half adult size. They are about the size of a goose with loose dark gray down. Their feet are already nearly adult size, which gives them a comical look and clumsy movements. They trip over their gigantic feet like any human teenager. The pinfeathers will emerge soon, and as these unfurl, the chicks will have a spiky appearance, like porcupines. Growing in all the flight feathers at once requires a lot of calories. The parents feed the chicks enormous amounts of carrion to fuel this transformation. The shaft of the feather is made of a substance very similar to our fingernails. The parents often feed their chicks small bones and pebbles to supplement their calcium so that the feathers grow in strong. At around 4 months of age, we will visit these nests again to put on discreet identification tags, tiny transmitters and to administer a west Nile virus immunization booster.

This month we have documented quite a few condors feeding on sea lions washed up dead on Big Sur beaches. While it is always thrilling to see condors finding food on their own, we are concerned about toxins that they may be exposing themselves to when they forage on marine mammals. We continue to watch marine mammal feeding closely, and plan to trap many of our condors next month for a health check and new transmitters.

As condor biologists, we are accustomed to talking to interested folk along the highway about our work. We use powerful scopes and large flashy antennas in our roadside routine, and these items of gear incite much curiosity among passersby. We have recently been able to interact with visitors passionate about wildlife at our newly opened Discovery Center in Andrew Molera State Park. If you come and visit, we hope you enjoy the excellent photos and info on the walls, as well as the interactive elements for those who appreciate the hands-on approach to learning. The Discovery Center is staffed by experienced condor biologists who has spent many hours watching both the majesty and the comedy of condors in the wild. Please come and visit!

With the exception of one very hot weekend here in Big Sur, most of this month has been cool and foggy. The June gloom has apparently descended early. Condors are less active and also less visible in foggy conditions. However, those looking for hot viewing tips should try Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. We field biologists have frequently seen condors from the park entrance looking east. They often use a line of large redwood trees growing in a line ascending to the south ridge of the canyon. The trees that are dead or have large dead parts are especially favored. Be aware that only the waterfall trail is open due to damage from the Basin Complex fire.

Female condor #375 was captured in March, tested positive for lead poisoning, and transferred to veterinary care. She was X-rayed as part of her treatment for lead poisoning, and it was discovered that she had recently been shot with a shotgun. She has recovered from both of her health problems, and was cleared to go back out in the wild. She was successfully released May 1st and has been doing well in the wild.

The other condor that had been shot, #286, was unfortunately not so lucky. He died on May 11th, after receiving the best possible care at LA Zoo. We have not heard the final autopsy results, but both lead poisoning and being shot contributed to his suffering and death. These past few months he has weighed just over half his healthy weight. The lead in his system ruined his digestive tract, causing slow starvation. The treatment he received for lead poisoning results in side-effects similar to cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. He went through 3 blood transfusions, 3 weeks of being hooked to a feeding tube, and over 2 months confined to a stainless steel cage, which is no place for a wild condor.

We have far more breeding age females in central California than males, so losing #286 was a harsh blow to our breeding effort. He was also one of the adventurous group of condors to find and feed on a beached whale. This was the first documented feeding on a whale in over 100 years. However, anyone seeing #286 in his final days would agree that death was merciful. The hunt for the person(s) responsible for shooting condors in central California continues, and the reward stands at $40,000 for helpful information.

Female condor #303, who is currently breeding in the wild, was captured this month and found to have blood lead levels more than 3 times background levels. This degree of lead poisoning is enough to make a condor ill, but is not immediately life threatening. The decision was made to treat her for poisoning but to release her rather than sending her to veterinary treatment. Her chick is still very small and would probably not survive if she was taken from the wild for more than a brief period. If her condition had been more serious however, we would have had to make a very difficult choice.

We now have 4 nests with confirmed nestlings. We recently entered all of these nests to make sure the chick was healthy and to administer West Nile virus vaccines. In approximately their second month of life, all these chicks are growing very rapidly. They just left their fuzzy and cute phase, and are now gawky, clumsy and playful. Almost overnight they lose their white down and the rounded face of the early chick phase. They are currently about the size of a large duck, with gigantic feet, dark uneven down and a prominent beak. All of a sudden they are really looking like condors!

We do have a fifth nest in the Monterey County area this year. Confirming its exact location and verifying that it contains a hatchling continues to be a challenge. Two dedicated members of our condor crew, Mike Tyner and Sayre Flannagan, put in a tremendous effort in narrowing down the location of this last unfound nest. From a remote mountain outpost, they finally observed the parents switching out. From this vantage point, Sayre was able to see which remote canyon the parents were flying into, but since the canyon mouth was narrow, there was no view inside. This newly discovered information is incredibly beneficial, but the specific nest site for this pair still eludes us. We are now reserved to the reality of the situation and that the next step in finding this nest will require the use of a helicopter. The area is simply too rugged and remote for foot exploration. Until next time…

April was another busy month and is normally a pretty safe one weather-wise. We had a violent thundering hailstorm that triggered a substantial mudslide closing highway 1, and twelve days later had a wildfire started by a downed powerline. Both of these incidents were scary, but were mostly resolved within a couple days.

Condors #286 and #375 were both hospitalized in March for lead poisoning, and found to be also shot. Condor #375 has made a dramatic recovery and will be released on the first of May. Condor #286’s lead poisoning were much more severe, and will need many more months to recover. He still weighs only 12 pounds, and should weigh 22. His skin hangs off his bones in folds, and he is very weak. He has recently gained a modest amount of weight and had his feeding tube removed. Once he was steady on his feet, he was allowed to visit an outside pen for a breath of fresh air. His prognosis is still scary, and if he does recover enough to be returned to the wild, he will find himself at the bottom of the dominance hierarchy. His chosen female, #303, has picked another male and started a family with him in #286’s absence.

An adult female from the southern California flock, condor #156, is in a bit of a conundrum and appears to only want to pair up with older males that are already paired. Instead of re-evaluating her options and considering a younger male, #156 began disrupting established pairs last breeding season. She intruded into nesting areas and was physically very aggressive to pairs as well as their offspring. The USFWS biologists managing the southern flock did not want to return her to captivity, so they staged an intervention. Condor #156 was captured and transferred to Big Sur prior to this year’s breeding season. She was held in our flight pen with some of our most eligible bachelors in the hope that she would fancy one of them. We released her this month and held our breath. In the end, the experiment failed. After loitering around the Big Sur area for a couple of days, #156 hightailed it back to southern California and resumed her “Fatal Attraction” style of behavior. If she resumes her disruptive behavior again this year, USFWS biologists will be forced to capture her to protect this year’s wild condor nests in southern California, which now total 4.

The 5 nests we have located in Central California are doing well. We have successfully swapped out eggs at 4 of 5 nests. Why do we swap out eggs? Although an egg may appear healthy and normal, this does not guarantee it will successfully hatch. Most of our wild pairs are very young and we do not yet know the full extent of environmental threats to egg production. Based on eggs analyzed thus far, it appears that condors feeding on California Sea Lions are producing thin-shelled eggs, which are hampering reproduction much like what was seen with Peregrine Falcons and is still being seen today in Bald Eagles on the southern California coast. We also confirmed that the 4 foster eggs introduced into the wild nests hatched successfully. There is still one more nest in Monterey County that we have not located.

Condors #236 and #209 clearly have an active nest. They continue to display the classic “switchout” pattern, where one of them is gone for three days (presumably incubating), and then suddenly reappears just as its mate vanishes. They have chosen an area so remote and inaccessible, we found it necessary to put a GPS transmitter on the male in order to locate the nest. For those of you who value wildlands in California, rest assured that in the Ventana Wilderness there are definitely still some areas west of “Nowhere”, east of the “Void”. Wish us luck as we attempt to traverse some fairly interesting terrain!
Until next time… Jessica Koning

The heart of the rainy season is past, and we are moving into a drier and warmer time of year. Many Big Sur residents feel that we have avoided the catastrophic landslides and floods that often follow wildfires in California. Another aftereffect of the wildfires is now very apparent. The recently burned grasslands at around 1000 feet are festooned with a wildflower bloom of astonishing proportions. The dominant flowers are the so- called “fire followers”: vibrant orange California poppy and the blue-purple sky lupine. Each species is brilliantly saturated with color when viewed singly, but when poppies and lupine grow together in great numbers the contrast between their pigments defies description. We can describe these flower fields as botanical fireworks, and mean it literally and figuratively.

We are sad to announce that once more, human activities have endangered members of our condor flock. Even though hunting with bullets made with lead-free alloys is now required in this part of California, we discovered that at least two of our flock are suffering from lead poisoning. We do not believe that the lead ban has been entirely effective in eliminating the use of lead bullets, and that ingesting bullet fragments from hunter-killed mammals continues to poison condors. Both ailing condors were transported to expert veterinary care, where it was discovered that in addition to being poisoned, the condors had also been shot. It is not known yet whether the shot imbedded in these two condors is lead or steel. These injuries were inflicted in violation of several state and federal laws, and are currently being investigated by authorities. The injured condors were female #375 and male #286. #375 was less seriously injured and is expected to recover, but #286 is quite weak and will be fighting long odds. Our thanks to the veterinarians at the Avian and Exotic Clinic in Monterey and staff at the Los Angeles Zoo for their assistance and perseverance.

Thankfully, the coin has another side. This is the time of year when condor eggs are laid. A female condor will either select a cave or a huge tree cavity in which to lay her egg. She often picks a remote and pristine location. For that reason, this is also the time of year that we condor biologists deeply regret that we cannot fly. We found 3 condor nests this month in Big Sur. Locating them involved generous amounts of rigorous hiking, spectacular poison oak exposure, and lots of patience. It is likely that we will find at least one more nest next month. A female condor will lay an egg ONLY if she is mated to a male she feels will be a faithful partner and a good provider. The amount of care that a condor chick requires cannot be provided by a single parent. The pair must work together to successfully reproduce.

Thanks to assistance from USFWS and the Los Angeles Zoo, we were able to enter two of the nests to verify the eggs and to test them for fertility. These two nests contained non-viable eggs, but they will be replaced with fertile eggs laid in the zoo. This enables us to give zoo laid eggs the most natural upbringing possible and provides the Big Sur condors with parenting skills. The eggs will be examined to determine why they did not survive. On March 29th we placed a foster egg with one nesting pair and they hatched the chick successfully! Condor personnel are currently planning to place foster eggs in the other two nests in early April and hope to increase the number of chicks to three for the year.

February is always the quietest month in terms of visitors to Big Sur, but it is the most exciting month of the year to be a condor (or a condor biologist). This is the heart of the breeding season, with many courtship displays and frequent aggressive aerial chases between males. We have several new pairs to report: Confirmed bachelor condor #219 (male), has finally noticed the opposite sex, and is shopping for breeding real estate with Pinnacles female #310. Female condor #303 has recently decided that one good male is better than 4 shiftless admirers. She is setting up a breeding territory with Pinnacles male #313. Highly anticipated pair, male #209 and female # 236, who have now narrowed down their territory in the Ventana Wilderness, hopefully will lay their first successful egg this year. It is also time for our first two successful pairs, male #168 and female #208, and male #167 and female #190 to recycle and lay their second round of eggs. Both of these pairs fledged chicks in 2007, and their experience in parenting will make them even stronger parents for this breeding season.

Our annual trapping season is reaching a conclusion, with nearly all of the central California condor flock tested and released. We did encounter one high lead exposure with male condor #199, who was treated at the Avian & Exotic clinic and re-released one week later. He has been seen regularly since his release and is doing well, rejoining his mate and their chick. Much to our surprise while spending days in the blind, young condor #477 arrived at our feeding site to join the flock! While Kristy watched the birds in the trap, she noticed a bird was present that she did not recognize, Phoenix (#477)! This is the only truly wild condor chick in our flock, laid by female #231 and male #199 in 2008, and hatched without human intervention. We were able to obtain a blood sample from Phoenix and we determined he’s a male! This means we had all boy chicks for 2008.

It has been a wet February, and snow has been falling in the Santa Lucia Mountains at our release site. As the rain accumulates, the rivers swell and it becomes challenging to get up our long dirt road. As the winter is always exciting in Big Sur, we see this one being no different, and prepare ourselves for inclement weather. We have sandbags lining our office in the event of the Big Sur River rising, and have backup rations at Basecamp in case we need to stay longer than planned. We will keep you posted on the excitement…

A mild January was bestowed upon the crew this month, with several light storms enabling the Santa Lucia’s to morph into brilliant shades of green. The first signs of wild flowers have begun, and the scorched hillsides will soon be in full bloom. Fortunately, the good weather has allowed the crew to fully charge at our trapping, and we have nearly examined all 25 condors in the Big Sur flock. The results have been mostly positive, with only a few elevated lead scores. Condor #199 had the highest lead contamination and was treated and will be released in early February to rejoin his mate and their chick, Phoenix (#477). The crew is relieved to know that the flock is healthy and also wearing new tags, which will provide more thorough tracking during nesting season. We would like to send a big Thank you to Yurok Tribe biologists, Chris and Tiana, for assisting us with the trap-up effort this month.

Now that we are in full swing for nesting, many great courting observations were made this month. Condor females are picky, and they allow many suitors to display while choosing their mate. It is very humorous to watch the males in their courting dance, practicing on each other, a tree, or any other thing in their way; they enter a trance-like state and tend to bump into obstacles. The males also have to search for ideal nesting habitat, and then the pair visits the sites he has located until the female finds one she likes (house hunting!).

Although we have seen the initial bonds between some younger birds, we will expect them to tighten that bond over the next year and possibly breed in 2010. We anticipate 4-5 nests from the already established pairs, and are looking forward to finding these nests and watching them. The chicks from last year’s nests have made monumental leaps in their progress this month, as we have observed Phoenix (#477) at the condor release site!! A truly wild condor with gender unknown, Phoenix soared in to join the other condors on January 27th, and was seen feeding at a carcass and hanging out with last year’s wild chick, Ventana (#444).

The birds also got fat and happy this month on sea lion blubber. The coast provided four sea lion carcasses for the birds to feed on and we observed them lapping up the fatty goodness with delight. As the females prepare to lay their eggs in February, additional calories are welcomed into their diet, as the exertion of egg-laying can be a draining experience for these birds. We will keep you posted on the birds breeding progress next month; keep your fingers crossed…
-Sayre Flannagan, Condor Crew

In-flight species comparison chart

In-flight species comparison chart - Print a copy to take with you when looking for condors