Condor Reintroduction

Condor Reintroduction Program Putting Birds in Danger

From a news story by
CNN San Francisco Reporter Kim Hunter

July 30, 2000

Condors

It had all the makings of a soaring success story. The endangered California condor, the largest bird in North America, (had) more than tripled in population, after dwindling to just 30 birds two decades ago. But the program that's attempting to save this endangered species may be putting the bird, and even humans, "in" danger.

Steve Beissinger is a conservation biologist at UC Berkeley who says, "Some birds have come into a local California town and perched on roofs of residents' houses and pulled off the shingles and damaged television antennas. And a group of eight even went into one resident's bedroom and started pulling chunks out of his mattress."

In the mid-1980's, all wild condors were captured, and bred. Condor-like puppets raised many of their young so the parents could go on breeding. But some scientists say those young, now released into the wild, crave human interaction and are approaching people, cars and buildings. Birds have been shot, poisoned by drinking anti-freeze and electrocuted by overhead wires.

Meanwhile, the condor faces another threat: lead poisoning. Steve Beissinger says, "Birds feed on dead animals, carcasses of hunter killed deer, Jack rabbits, (and) livestock and often times there are fragments or pieces of whole bullets left behind. To keep the condor population from heading into a tailspin, Beissinger suggests alternative ammunition for hunters and an end to puppet rearing practices.

The authors of the study say their next step is to call for a committee of independent scientists to review the condor reintroduction program and make sure it stays on the right track.
Additional Notes:
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Additional Notes:

The California condor never kills for its food. It eats animals that have already died. The wingspan of a condor can reach 9 – 10 feet. For centuries Native Americans have considered the condor to be a sacred bird. In 1982, the number of condors in the wild was less than 30. By 1987, all wild condors had been trapped and put into captivity. In 1992, condors started being released into the wild. Many of them were attracted to humans and used telephone poles for roosts. Many condor deaths resulted. Later, they tried to teach the birds to be afraid of people and power lines. It may not have helped.

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