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Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) recently proposed reintroducing CaliforniaCondors in the Pacific Northwest. Although sometimes thought of a bird of the Southwest, the condor’s historical range reaches as far north as British Columbia. But condors have not been in the Pacific Northwest for more than a century.
The newest bird on the brink to capture her fertile imagination is the CaliforniaCondor, on which she graciously shares her research and ruminations: Sometimes as a writer you recognize there’s been something overlooked in your midst—something quietly abiding. Condors, like all New World vultures, can disturb the human psyche.
As many birders know, the last wild CaliforniaCondors were captured by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in the 1980s to be part of a captive breeding program. Audubon thought there should be some wild condors to serve as “guide birds” for condors that would eventually be released from the captive breeding program.
Osborn, a passionate field biologist who participates to the core of her being three re-introduction projects aimed at saving three very different, endangered species: Peregrine Falcon, Hawaiian Crow (‘Alala)*, and CaliforniaCondor. This is the most intense, tragic section.
The smellier the better, particularly as, unusually for birds, many species can boast a robust sense of smell. In any case, our hang-ups with vultures clearly stem from our own issues rather than any inherently bizarre trait of the species themselves. The CaliforniaCondor has a story well-known by anyone with an interest in birds.
Then a little later there was a spot of bother with DDT, but we pulled out of that one ok, with a toolbox that would surely stand us in good stead if we only had the will to use it – legislation and literature, captive breeding programs, nest platforms. A species, wiped off the earth, never to exist again. We could do it!
I have been lucky enough to get close views of two massive Old World Vulture species, the Eurasian Griffon and the Egyptian Vulture. Here in Mexico, I can almost always count on Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures to pad each outing’s list by two species. Black Vultures are a bit smaller than all these other species.
There are many charismatic endangered birds that capture people’s hearts and imaginations: the colossal CaliforniaCondor , the evocative Red-crowned Crane , and the adorable Spoon-billed Sandpiper come to mind. Regardless of their popularity, these species and the threatened ecosystems they inhabit are equally spectacular.
There are many charismatic endangered birds that capture people’s hearts and imaginations: the colossal CaliforniaCondor , the evocative Red-crowned Crane , and the adorable Spoon-billed Sandpiper come to mind. Regardless of their popularity, these species and the threatened ecosystems they inhabit are equally spectacular.
These lands support countless birds, either year-round, as migratory stopovers, or as breeding grounds. BLM land is particularly important for conservation of the Greater Sage-Grouse and other sageland species. For example, most of the world’s Black-footed and Laysan Albatross and Ashy Storm-Petrel breed on these islands.
Let’s call it the CaliforniaCondor exception. The reason we do not allow introduced species onto checklists until they are breeding and self sustaining for many generations is that without this rule you could go to a pet store, release a bunch of crazy colorful finches and count them all on your yard or state list.
Following passage of the United States Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, the CaliforniaCondor ( Gymnogyps californianus ) was among the first 75 species listed for protection, the so-called “Class of 1967”. By any measure, the recovery of the CaliforniaCondor has been a remarkable success.
“So, for a relatively small contribution to habitat preservation, or captive breeding programs, or some minor climate change mitigation…” here a small covey of oil executives rustled and began to puff up, “really quite small, by your standards, you too could have a longspur. .” “The Blue-eyed Ground Dove.”
Their habitats vary widely in both rural and urban landscapes; open habitats are preferred and the species generally shuns only extensively forested areas and wetlands 1. To show how adaptive this species is, the following photograph was sent to me by one of my readers and I use it with her permission.
If they can spare a glance upward, the busy grape-pickers might also be treated to another portent of the changing seasons in the Iberian skies overhead: the sight of flocks of White Storks ( Ciconia ciconia ) heading south from their summer breeding grounds in Europe to Africa, where they spend the winter on the warm savannas.
And managing means killing them, breeding them, and otherwise fiddling with their populations. It has entertaining stories, includes animals people care about because they like them (and also addresses that concept), and it describes how the numbers of various species decreased to the point of being classified as "endangered" or worse.
Pough “with illustrations in color of every species” by Don Eckelberry, Doubleday, 1946. The National Audubon Society Birds of North America covers all species seen in mainland United States, Canada and Baja California. The press material says it covers over 800 species, so you know I had to do a count.
such as CaliforniaCondors and Passenger Pigeons. And they were the ones who, at the end of the conference, decided to get together and talk about the possibility of breeding Peregrines in captivity as a way of at least saving the species from extinction.” And grow they did.
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