One might suppose that the
largest flying land bird in North America, that once inhabited
almost the entire continent, and that survived the Pleistocene extinction,
would have perfected its mating ritual as part of its arsenal of survival
skills. You would be right! And the 42 engaged participants in the Diablo
Trust’s Condor Conservation Day on March 25th were privileged to
witness that amazing event.
Led by the Trust’s Program Manager Jeremy Krones, and the
Peregrine Fund’s Condor Program Director Chris Parish, we observed these
magnificent birds from the Navajo Bridge at Lee’s Ferry. Chris shared details
about Condor biology, the rescue and reintroduction efforts, and the continuing
danger from lead bullets, as two condors slowly warmed in the morning sun,
spread long-feathered wings to gather the rising air, and lifted off the bridge
struts, flying to the sandstone cliffs above the Colorado River.
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| Jeremy Krones of The Diablo Trust |
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| Chris Parish of The Peregrine Fund |
We pondered the scant probability and the remarkable story of how California Condors went from a population of only 22 individuals in the wild in 1982, to a captive breeding program begun with a few survivors in captivity and none in the wild by 1987, to the hard earned successes that followed. It wasn’t until 2003 that the first young was born again in the wild, in a cave above the Colorado River used by ancestral condors 28,000 years ago. Now, 28 young have hatched in the natural world, and over two hundred condors range over parts of Arizona, Utah, California, and Baja, Mexico, where they have been reintroduced or begun dispersing on their own.
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| Condor flying over Colorado River |
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| X-ray of Condor with shot fragments |
The Condor Conservation Day participants were fortunate to
witness the remarkable and rare site of a male California Condor slowly
circling a female, with an almost ten-foot wingspan stretched to display the
white underside. Our breaths were held as he mounted her, all silently hopeful
that new life was being created. May this magnificent mating dance, evolved
over millennia yet not seen in the wild during those dedicated years of
captive-breeding, continue to create more young condors and inspire future
generations of conservationists.
The Diablo Trust mission: “Learning from the land and sharing our knowledge, so there will always
be a West”, was clearly met on Condor Conservation Day. Special thanks to
Jeremy Krones and Chris Parish, and deep gratitude to all those working to
ensure there is a safe and wild place for condors in the West.
