California Condors

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California Condors

• Condors trying to survive and dying in a harsh,
  man-made environment

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The California Condor is the largest flying bird
in North America.
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Their wingspan can stretch 10 feet across
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These magnificent birds glide on air currents up
to 15,000 feet high.
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Condors are scavengers that feed on carrion.
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Condors were considered sacred by the Native
Americans in the Western USA
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Flocks of Condors originally soared all across
America
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But in the 1970s, California had only 22 Condors
left
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These Condors were captured and placed into a
captive breeding program
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The Condor population dropped to 10 before they
were all captured in 1987.
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Reasons for the decline of the Condor include
loss of habitat,
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Collisions with power lines
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Ingesting Lead bullets or pellets
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Being shot by hunters
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Ingesting Glass and Micro-trash
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Since 1992, Condors have been reintroduced to the
wild.
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There are currently 35 individuals soaring free
in our skies
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They continue to face the dangers of mans world
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This chick is undergoing surgery to remove
micro-trash
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The stomach contents from a dead Condor chick
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This is an x-ray showing bottle caps and a metal
spring
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Necropsy photo showing stomach contents of this
dead Condor
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An Egg surrounded by micro-trash in the nest
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A wild hatched Condor Chick
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Where does all this trash come from?
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Careless people who litter,
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And kids who party in our wild areas
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Your actions do have consequences. Dont litter.
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You could be the one who kills a Condor.
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What can you do?
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Clean up trash that others have left behind
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Join a micro-trash work party
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Tell your friends not to break bottles or litter
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1,000 Pounds of micro-trash was removed from the
forest in 1 day
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Construction trash was removed from dump sites in
the Angeles National Forest
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Trash
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Trash
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And More Trash
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If you hunt, dont use lead shot. Use tungsten or
copper instead. Its the law in 2008.
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If you hunt, retrieve animals youve shot and
remove all shot/bullets from the carcass.
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Dont shoot a Condor (Duh)
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Condors take 6-8 years to reach sexual maturity
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If they are not shot, electrocuted or exposed to
micro-trash ingestion, they can live for 60 years
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Condor Facts

• Diet Carnivore
• Average lifespan in the wild Up to 60 Years
• Size Body, 3.5 to 4.5 ft (1.1 to 1.4 m)
  Wingspan, Up to 9 to 10 ft (2.7 to 3 m)
• Weight 18 to 31 lbs (8 to 14 kg)
• Protection status Endangered

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Please help keep us safe-
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Baby Condor being Puppet Fed

• Photos by
• Dianne Erskine-Hellrigel
• Michael Helms
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife