August 5, 2006
Condor Update as of 1 Aug 2006
Condor Fans--
Attached are the latest population numbers from the California Department of Fish and Game. I've taken the liberty of correcting the Arizona numbers to 60 (rather than 58) wild California condors and 8 (rather than 10) pre-release birds, and adjusted the totals accordingly. The number of wild condors in California is lower than I estimated in my last update: apparently the release of six condors at Big Sur in early June had already been included in the June 1 population numbers. And there have been some deaths in the wild this summer as well as quite a few among this year's chicks. (There is still one chick in the wild in southern California--keep your fingers crossed for a successful fledging!) As always, treat these numbers as approximate. The short version: 289 condors total, with 61 in the wild in CA, 19 in Baja, and 60 in AZ.
(See Aug 1 Condor Numbers edited by Marker Marshall, below)
Here in Arizona, I'm happy to say that Condor #134, treated at the Phoenix Zoo for lead poisoning for the last several months, was released back into the wild on July 21. #122 is also back from the Phoenix Zoo, and once he
gains some weight and strength he too will be re-released. For more information, check out Thom Lord's Aug 1 Notes from the Field at: www.peregrinefund.org
CALIFORNIA CONDOR POPULATION SIZE AND DISTRIBUTION
August 1, 2006
(status through July 31, prepared August 2, 2006 )
TOTAL POPULATION 289
CAPTIVE POPULATION 149
Los Angeles Zoo 29 (includes 7 chicks from 2006)
San Diego WAP 29 (includes 8 chicks from 2006)
WCBP Boise 53 (includes 6 chicks from 2006)
Oregon Zoo 20 (includes 2 chicks from 2006)
Mentor birds in field pens 5(#79,226 SoCal ) (64 Baja) (Ventana 155) (OR 36)
Pre-release birds in field pens 5 (CA) 8(AZ)
WILD POPULATION 140
California 61
Wild-fledged 1
Wild, Southern California-released birds 18
Wild, Central California-released birds 41 (2 recent deaths)
Big Sur- 28
Pinnacles- 13
Nestlings in wild nests 1
Baja California 19
Wild, from releases 13 (1 recent death to lead poisoning)
Being held in pre-release flight pen 6
Arizona 60
Wild-fledged 4
Wild, from releases 56
Nestlings in wild nests 0
Wild Production in 2006:
Southern California- Four pairs produced eggs, two nests failed, one nestling died, one pair feeding nestling.
Central California- No verified breeding . 3 possible pairs
Arizona –Three pairs, all failed at egg stage.
Baja-No nesting attempts
Captive Production in 2006:
San Diego Wild Animal Park: 11 eggs laid, 6 hatched successfully, 5 died during incubation
Los Angeles Zoo: 8 eggs laid, one died before hatching; 7 hatched plus one chick from a fertile egg brought in from the wild. One fertile egg transferred to a wild nest.
World Center for Birds of Prey: Fourteen eggs laid, all hatched, 2 to San Diego W. A. P.
Oregon Zoo: 3 eggs laid, all hatched. One chick died, unknown cause.
From California Department of Fish & Game, corrected regarding released/prerelease Arizona condor numbers. –Marker Marshall, 8/4/06
Ms. Marker Marshall
Park Ranger--Interpretation
Grand Canyon National Park
P.O. Box 129
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
voice: (928) 638-7830
fax: (928) 638-7776