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Pinnacles Condors Released September 17, 2005
On Saturday, September 17, 2005 Ventana Wildlife Society and its collaborator, the National Park Service, released three condors to the wild at Pinnacles National Monument. Four more individuals will be released in the coming weeks, bringing the total to 13 condors at Pinnacles.

A crowd of approximately 300 enjoyed the beauty of the day and views of the birds taking their first flights. Download a 2-minute video (9.4 MB) to see for yourself! Feel free to save it to your hard drive instead of just opening it. Check out our monthly updates to see how the birds are adjusting to the wild.

We have chosen to do a "soft release" because it is less stressful for the birds and minimizes contact with humans. During a soft release, the condors enter a door in the flight pen that leads into a double-door trap. Once a condor is in the trap, the inner door to the pen is closed and an outer door is opened and it can fly free.

One drawback to this method is that we cannot predict when or if a condor will enter the trap. If no birds enter the trap, the release will be postponed and a non-public release will happen on another day.

During our first Pinnacles condor release in 2003, no condors were released on the first day. Our second release was more eventful; one condor flew from the flight pen and other condors that had been released the previous year were also nearby.

We are happy to continue to keep our condor releases open to the general public so that people have the opportunity to see these magnificent birds. If you'd like to join us for future releases of California condors at Pinnacles National Monument, please check this page before the release date for information to help you plan your trip.

If you have questions about condors or membership in Ventana Wildlife Society, please call 831-455-9514.

Pinnacles Condors Released October 28, 2004
See the October 2004 Field Notes for details of the release of condors at Pinnacles National Monument on October 28, 2004.

Big Sur Condors Released September 25, 2004
See the September 2004 Field Notes for details of the release of condors at Big Sur on September 25, 2004.

Red-Tagged Condors Released December 19, 2003
See the December 2003 Field Notes for details of the release of condors at Pinnacles National Monument.

Red-Tagged Condors Released December 12, 2002
See the December 2002 Field Notes for details of the release of the red-tagged condors.

White-Tagged Condors Released April 5, 2001
Beautiful, clear skies greeted onlookers who gathered on a ridge above the release site on April 5, 2001. Among the release attendees was Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton, who soon after her appointment as Sec. of the Interior stated that she would like to attend this year's condor release. In a few moments the Ventana Wildlife Society will release five young condors into the wild. This will be the fifth release conducted by the Ventana Wildlife Society in Big Sur, bringing the total population of California Condors in the coast range to 19, and 29 for the entire state.

Jim Davis, Executive Director for the Ventana Wildlife Society and Master of Ceremonies, delivers a speech to an anxious crowd of 212 people, celebrating the public/private partnership that has made the recovery of the California Condor so successful. (The Ventana Wildlife Society works in a partnership with USFWS, San Diego Wild Animal Park, Los Angeles Zoo, and the Peregrine Fund to prepare condors for the wild.)

Following great speeches by Congressman Sam Farr, Dr. Mike Wallace - California Condor Recovery Team Leader, Mike Spear - USFWS CA/NV Manager, and Mary Nichols - Sec. of Resources (CA) the final speaker, Sec. of the Interior - Gale Norton, takes the podium. After her speech, Jim Davis joins Sec. Norton on stage and unveils a bronze condor plaque (sculpted by John Schmitt and cast by Sandy Decker of Decker Studios). This is a gift from the artist and Decker studios honoring Sec. Norton's work on behalf of the condor. The bronze plaques are available to donors of $1000.00 or more and are a 100% tax deductible gift supporting Ventana Wildlife Society's Condor Reintroduction efforts.

Sal Lucido, President and Cofounder of Ventana Wildlife Society, and Kelly Sorenson, Asst. Director, then gave Sec. Norton the honors of opening the release pen door. The moment we had all been waiting for was finally here! With a two-way radio in her hand, Sec. Norton called to Ventana Wildlife Society biologist, Jessica Steffen, and gave her the OK to open up the door and set the condors free. A few minutes later condor W22 stepped through the release door and took her first flight of freedom. She was shortly followed by most of the others (including the wild-caught mentor condor, B64) except for one condor, W30. He decided to stay behind that day, not quite ready for the wild yet. He finally departed and said good-bye to the release pen on the morning of April 7.

Since release the young white tags have been doing very well. We have observed lengthy, short-range flights by the new birds, as well as good interaction with the other condors (blue, yellow, and orange tags). Keep track of the white tags as well as the others in the coming months with my monthly updates from the field.

See photos and news coverage of condor release day by The San Francisco Chronicle.

Until next time...

-Joe Burnett, Field Supervisor

Orange-Tagged Condors Released March 4, 2000
While nearly one hundred supporters of the California condor were gathering to watch the release of six young condors, thick fog enveloped the release site. Nestled in a coastal canyon along the Pacific Coast, the release site sits at 2300 feet elevation just below a grassy knoll. At 12:40 PM, a door on the flight pen of the David P. Usher Rearing and Release Facility was opened.

Obscured by fog, the visibility of the release site from the observation area was zero. As seen by biologists, the condors cautiously approached the opening. Condor 200 (also known as Orange 0) took her first flight only 25 minutes after the door was opened. Due to the fog, the birds remained inactive but during periods of clearing they started to get excited. After Condor Or0 flew, Or99 followed. Then Or12, Or4, and Or8 took their first flights of freedom so that by nightfall all but Or9 had fledged.

The following day, Condor Or99 returned to the Rearing and Release Facility and seemingly coaxed his brother Or9 out to join the others. By the end of the day after release, all six of these birds were located safely at the release site dealing with three inches of freshly fallen snow.

A field crew of biologists has dedicated their lives to prepare these young condors for the wild. Over the last seven months, these biologists have spent night after night carrying condor food items in darkness to support the growing condors. In addition, feeding, monitoring, and tracking the free-flying birds is also among their responsibilities. On March 4, 2000 all of their hard work paid off.

Today, the staff at VWS is managing 15 condors in the Central California Coast Region. Financial support made it all possible to reach this benchmark because it enabled the hiring of critical staff members to carry out the near endless tasks of restoring this incredible species to the wild.

Over the coming years, VWS biologists will continue to ensure the success of these individual birds and report to you, the reader, their progress. To all who support the condor we thank you.