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California Condor News as of September 18, 2007 In Arizona/Utah, we're still at 59 wild birds plus 2 chicks = 61 plus #265 who's been released in California but not yet here, plus 9 never-released juveniles. Wild-fledged #392 is still being held, as well as #282, #324 and now #327 for behavioral reasons, currently leaving 55 free-flying birds. (On any given day there may be other birds being captured and immediately re-released for quick transmitter changes or similar reasons.) But Eddie Feltes mentions that some new birds may be released in early October, so these numbers are likely to change. The other big news is that the chick in the Deer Creek/Thunder River area was finally visually confirmed by Tim Hauck of Peregrine Fund on September 9. Not surprisingly, the nest is in a cave in the Redwall Limestone. Check out photos of the cave area and of the chick in the July-August "Notes from the Field" at the Peregrine Fund web site, www.peregrinefund.org. There's also a photo of #270 being released back into the wild on July 18 (not in August as I'd previously reported), with a healed and functional although still-crooked leg. Our chicks have studbook numbers now. The Deer Creek chick is #441 and the Vermilion Cliffs chick is #459. #459 is the highest-numbered, hence youngest, California condor in the world until next breeding season, having hatched on June 6. #441 is listed in the studbook as having hatched around April 28, so this chick will reach six months of age around October 28 and should take its first flight within a few weeks either way of that date. We've still got some condors roosting below Grand Canyon Village most nights. Eddie Feltes mentions in his July-August "Notes from the Field" that at one point in August there were 42 condors in the Kolob/Zion area of southern Utah, out of 55 free-flying birds. This was a new record for the number of birds in that area, where he writes that "with an ample and consistent food supply and the near-perfect topography for soaring condors, we expect this trend to continue and have had to dedicate a major portion of our monitoring to this region." Southern California has fledged their third wild chick (first for this year)! This is the first successful fledging of a chick--a female as it happens--in the wild by male AC9 and his mate (who is also unfortunately his daughter). AC9 was the last bird brought into captivity of the original wild condors in California, back on Easter Sunday of 1987. He was released on May 1, 2002, and is the only original wild condor who is back in the wild. (AC2 and AC8, his old mate, were also released but later died, AC2 of unknown causes and AC8 from being shot by a pig hunter.) I'm not sure when the fledging took place; the youngster is not yet 6 months of age. This leaves 3 wild chicks in southern California now and 2 in the Ventana wilderness/Big Sur area. Not counting AC9 himself, there are now 3 wild-fledged condors in southern California (one from '04, one from '06, and so far as of September 1, one from '07). A wild condor died of lead poisoning in southern California on August 13, but I'm sticking with "about 306" as the total condor number since the US Fish & Wildlife Service September 1 Status Report lists 305 total but also lists one of the Arizona birds as dead (having disappeared briefly back in March) that in fact is alive and well. With a new release or two, California is up to about 76 wild condors (counting 5 chicks, one new fledgling, and several birds being temporarily held) and Baja is still at 18. Of California's 5 unfledged wild chicks, 3 are listed in the studbook as having "foster" parents, which is also true of the chick that fledged there in 2006. These are all the result of egg swaps. Each chick hatched in the wild from an egg laid in captivity either at the L.A. Zoo or the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The captive-laid egg was placed in the wild nest cave at the "pipping" (ready-to-hatch) stage, replacing a dummy egg that was placed in the wild nest when the biologists removed the original wild egg. My understanding is that in some cases the original wild-laid egg was fertile but was removed for incubation in captivity due to doubts about the effectiveness of incubation by the wild parents. In other cases it was removed because it was found to be infertile or dead but the biologists chose to let the wild pair have a chance of raising a truly wild chick in place of the captive pair who laid the fertile egg. The Arizona story is much simpler, as all five of our fledglings and the two current chicks have been raised by their own parents in the wild. M. Marshall Park Ranger--Interpretation Grand Canyon National Park

California Condor AZ Update - April 2007 Condor Releases Three captive-reared condors (327, 366, and 368) were released at the Vermilion Cliffs on Saturday March 3, 2007 along with four condors being temporarily held for behavioral reasons (274, 282, 302, and 329). The public was invited to attend the release, and approximately 100 people were on hand to observe the condors fly from the release pen at 11:00 a.m. Condor Behavior Condor 282 was recaptured on April 5, 2007 after the five-year-old was observed perching on man-made structures and showing no fear of tourists at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. 282 will remain in the flight pen for several months to break the bird of this behavior pattern and give it time to further mature. Condor Breeding Breeding season is well underway. Six nests are confirmed or strongly suspected by pair behavior, with the potential of one addition nest. Nesting is likely to occur in the Grand Canyon, Kaibab Plateau, Colorado River corridor, and Vermilion Cliffs this year. Two of the nesting pairs have produced chicks in the past and two are first time nesters. No nesting is expected in Utah this year since the pair from the Kolob area, condors 248 and 227, both died of lead toxicity this winter. The first and only visible egg of the season is still being tended by condors 133 and 158 on the east side of the Kaibab Plateau. It is also suspected that female condor 195 may have laid an egg in a cave below this pair's nest and is garnering some of male 158's attention. The male has been observed spending time in both nest caves. It is unlikely that either nest will be successful due to these circumstances. Adding further complications, nesting peregrine falcons and juvenile golden eagles in the area frequently stoop the three condors. At the time of this report, condor 195 has ceased interest in the area, but it is still unlikely that 133 and 158 will hatch a viable egg. Proven breeders condors 123 and 127 are suspected to be nesting in the Grand Canyon again this year. This pair successfully reared condor 305 in 2003 and condor 392 in 2005. First time nesters, condors 210 and 134 are also believed to be nesting in the Grand Canyon this year. This eight-year-old female and eleven-year-old male have exhibited courtship behavior for the last few years, but behavior this year suggests a legitimate nesting attempt. Condors 253 and 223 are suspected to be nesting in the Colorado River corridor. This is the first nesting attempt for the pair. 253 is a six-year-old female and 223 is a seven-year-old male. Condors 114 and 126 are believed to be nesting at the Vermilion Cliffs again this year. This pair produced condor 389 in 2005, and 114 (with condor 149) also successfully reared condor 342 in 2004. Condors 187 and 136 are expected to nest for their third year on the Kaibab Plateau. This pair has not successfully hatched a chick yet, but their eggs were fertile in both previous nesting attempts. Condor Lead Exposure and Lead Reduction Efforts A complete review of condor lead exposure rates and lead reduction efforts from the last five years is reported in the Review of the Second Five Years of the California Condor Reintroduction Program in the Southwest, which is now available on-line at: www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/Documents/SpeciesDocs/CA_Condor/2nd_5YR-07_Final.pdf. Although voluntary lead reduction efforts resulted in a 50% reduction in spent lead ammunition available to condors within Arizona's core foraging range (Kaibab Plateau and Arizona Strip) during the fall big game hunting season (similar to 2005), condor lead exposure rates increased during the 2006 season, with 95% of the population testing positive for lead exposure and 70% of the population requiring chelation treatment throughout the year. An explanation for these results may be that condor foraging on the Kaibab Plateau was more intense in 2006. An early snow pushed the deer to their winter foraging grounds in late October. As a result, early and late season hunts were concentrated on the southwest side of the Kaibab Plateau. Hence, approximately 500 gut piles were also concentrated in this area and the condors responded. Several hunters reported seeing condors perched above or near gut piles and telemetry data confirmed that many birds spent a significant amount of time foraging in the area. A 50% reduction in lead available to condors is a substantial accomplishment, and an unprecedented achievement the hunting community should be proud of. Recent data suggests, however, that this reduction is not adequate to achieve our goal of a self-sustaining condor population in Arizona and Utah. Therefore, future voluntary lead reduction efforts will be expanded and intensified. Increased outreach efforts are already underway in Arizona and discussions about initiating a voluntary lead reduction program in Utah have begun. Condor Movements Condor movements are still concentrated around the Vermilion Cliffs release site and activity around Navajo bridge has been common as well. Increased movements along the Colorado River corridor to the Grand Canyon are occurring. Condor activity at the Grand Canyon, Kaibab Plateau, and the Kolob area of southern Utah is expected to pick up within the next month. News from California and Baja The California condor program has reported a total of six nests, with four in southern California (Hopper Mountain area) and two in central California (Big Sur area). Two chicks have hatched thus far; one from a Hopper Mountain nest and one from a Big Sur nest. The Baja condor program reported its first condor nest this year. A six-year-old female and seven-year-old male nested in an old eagle nest atop a cliff in the Sierra San Pedro de Martir National Park. Project leader Mike Wallace confirmed that the chick hatched last week. News from the captive flock Captive pairs are beginning to hatch chicks at the World Center for Birds of Prey, San Diego Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo, and Oregon Zoo. As in the past couple years, all captive-reared chicks will be parent-reared this year. Condor Numbers Total population - 285 Captive - 144 Wild - 141 Arizona - 60 (with 3 being temporarily held) California - 69 Baja - 12

Condor Update as of August 1, 2006: CALIFORNIA CONDOR POPULATION SIZE AND DISTRIBUTION August 1, 2006 (status through July 31, prepared August 2, 2006 ) Overview Page Refer to the subsequent pages for details and trends 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            Wild-fledged     4                  60     Wild, from releases    54     Nestlings in wild nests      0     Production in the Wild 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 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. From California Department of Fish & Game, corrected regarding released/prerelease Arizona condor numbers.                                                            –Marker Marshall, 8/4/06

Condor Update as of November 5, 2005: - Condor 350, last year's Battleship chick, now wears transmitters as well as wing tags marked "-0" (since "50" is already in use by Condor 250). After capture and tagging last week, on Wednesday Nov 2 he or she was still at Vermilion Cliffs feeding and socializing with other condors, a very good sign. 350 had been up to the release site 4 times before Peregrine Fund biologists made any attempt to capture him/her. As of mid-October, world total for California Condors was at 274 and there were 60 wild condors in the northern Arizona/Utah area, following the release of three new condors earlier in the month. That included 55 free-flying condors plus 3 on "time out" in the flight pen, plus the Vermilion Cliffs and Salt Creek chicks, both expected to take their first flights around the end of November. With the cold and now the beginning of rifle deer hunting season on the Kaibab, condors are no longer roosting at night around Lookout Studio, and are spending a lot of time on the North Kaibab and up in the Kolob Canyon region of Utah. But there are still a few around; for instance, there have been daily sightings lately by hikers to Cedar Ridge on the South Kaibab trail. [--Marker Marshall, 928-638-7830, as gleaned from Kathy Sullivan of AZ Game & Fish and Chris Parish of The Peregrine Fund.]

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First condor chick hatched in the wild in decades is found dead Date: March 28, 2005 GRAND CANYON, Ariz. - Biologists have located the dead body of the first condor chick hatched in the wild in Arizona in more than 80 years. On Saturday, March 26, the chick’s body was found inside Grand Canyon National Park. The chick was just under two years old, having hatched on May 3, 2003 in a nest cave near the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The bird had been doing well since it fledged, or began flying, on November 5, 2003. Data indicate the chick had been extensively moving around until March 17 or 18, including two trips to the Vermilion Cliffs site where captive condors are released into the wild. The bird was detected in the area between Yavapai Point and Yaki Point in the Grand Canyon on March 18, 19 and 20. Then biologists noted that a transmitter attached to the chick had switched into a mortality mode, meaning the condor’s transmitter stopped moving, sometime Sunday evening, March 20. Although biologists hoped the transmitter had simply fallen off, that hope began to fade when the satellite-GPS transmitter indicated no movement over Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of last week. In cooperation with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, The Peregrine Fund, and National Park Service an investigation and recovery effort was started on Friday, March 25. Recovery efforts on Friday were delayed due to poor weather; however, biologists were able to recover the carcass on Saturday. The carcass was discovered on a slope in the Supai layer (approximately 1,200 feet below the rim) below Yavapai Point. No immediate cause of death was determined. The carcass will be shipped to the Pathology Lab at the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California, where a necropsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death. “As the first wild fledged chick in Arizona, this bird represented a significant step forward in the condor recovery program,” stated Chad Olson, Raptor Biologist for Grand Canyon National Park. He added, “although not critical from a population standpoint over the long-term, this bird was important symbolically to the condor reintroduction effort. I have been personally involved with the study of this bird and am truly saddened by its loss.” “This is a sad occasion for the California condor reintroduction project, but the program will move forward and hopefully see the survival of many future wild-hatched chicks,” says Ron Sieg, supervisor of the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Flagstaff regional office. The two chicks that fledged in the wild in 2004 continue to feed, interact with other condors and explore their natural areas. California condors are the largest flying land bird in North America. They can weigh up to 26 pounds and have a wingspan of up to 9 ½ feet. The species has been listed as endangered since 1967. Condors are being bred in captivity and are frequently released at the Vermilion Cliffs in Arizona. The historic Arizona reintroduction is a joint project among The Peregrine Fund, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Southern Utah's Coalition of Resources and Economics, and numerous other partners. Contacts: Bill Heinrich, The Peregrine Fund 208/362-3811, cell 208/890-0163 Jeff Humphrey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 602/242-0210 David Boyd, Bureau of Land Management, 435/688-3303 Maureen Oltrogge, Grand Canyon National Park, 928/638-7779 Kathy Sullivan, California Condor Coordinator, Arizona Game and Fish Department, 928/214-1249

Condor Update as of March 7, 2005: Releases and AZ Population News: The last 3 birds (297, 302,314) of the 2004 cohort were released on Feb 4. The first 5 birds (324, 331, 347, 349, 352) of this year's cohort were released on March 1. These two releases brings the wild population in Arizona to 54 birds. There are 6 more birds from this year's cohort, plus 3 other birds (266, 270, 287) that were transferred from California yet to be released later this year. The birds transferred from California may be released later this spring. When all these birds are released, it will bring the Arizona population to 63, barring any fatalities. The 3 California birds were transferred to Arizona because of behavior problems, and it was thought that transferring these birds here would give them the greatest chance of success. To make a long story short, there was a configuration of the flight pen at Pinnacles ( these birds were in the first cohort there) that may have given the birds a tendancy to land on poles, including potentially power poles. The flight pen at Pinnacles has been modified, but it was feared that these birds, if left in CA, would still have a tendancy to land on poles, and may influence younger birds to do the same. Since Arizona has had few pole issues with condors, the birds were transferred here for re-release. These birds are already about 3 years old and already have considerable experience in the wild and generally did well in the wild except for the pole issue. Wild Hatched Chicks All 3 chicks are doing well. And condor biologists are continuing to learn a great deal about condor behavior with each of these young birds and their parents. 305 (the 2003 Salt Creek chick; parents 127 & 123) returned to the release site a few days ago for the first time since he was captured last July. He traveled there with other adults (and not his parents) and fed there. It seems like 127 &123 are starting to act a little aggressively to the chick, and beginning to behave territorially. Perhaps 305 is beginning to be pushed to become more independent. It is not known whether the parents are feeding him at all anymore, but it has been observed that the chick wing-begged for food, and the parents not feeding it at the time. 350 (the 2004 Battleship chick; parents 119 & 122) is flying well and getting around well. Mostly along the rim of the Inner Canyon, but he/she went to the top of the Battleship for a couple days recently. He/she is spending some time at Plateau Point (which is not surprising given his parent's habits), and has let a few people approach it a little too closely. But mostly 350 is doing well, and has also met and interacted with other birds besides his/her parents. 342 (the 2004 Vermilion Cliffs chick; parents 149 & 114) is only being fed by his father 114. Since the chick's release after his surgery, 149 has had almost nothing to do with him. So much of a condor's behavior is hormonally controlled, and it is possible that after 2 weeks of while it was in Phx for treatment, it may have appeared that the nest had failed. So, hormonally, she may have just switched gears. But given the proximity of the chick to the release site, there is plenty of food available to the father to feed the chick by himself. Also, it is thought that the chick could become independent relatively easily with the release site so close, and since the chick has already been to the release site. Breeding Information: There may be anywhere from one to four nests this year, but it is too early to tell. In the past in Arizona, egg laying has occurred anywhere from the end of Febuary to the end of March, nesting could occur anytime. The current pairing information is: (But this could change given the whims of condor affections) 149 and 114 (the 2004 Vermilion Cliffs pair) have broken up, and 114 has been displaying to female 126 (even though he continues to feed his chick 342). 126 has always been interested in 114. In 2003, both 114 and 126 were part of the Quad, and last year 126 was captured and held so she did not disrupt the pair bond of 149 and 114. In some ways, 126 and 114 would make a nice pair, as they are both homebodies and spend most of their time at Vermilion Cliffs. Male 162 is also hanging out with 114 and 126 as he has always been buddies with 114, and 162's presence may prevent breeding. 133 (female) & 158 (male) were sorta a pair last year, but did not breed. It appears that they will this year, but it is not known where. 136 (female) & 187 (male) are a new pair, and are acting like they will breed. 127 &123 may breed if their chick (305) becomes independent. Other adults birds (male 134 and female 149) do not appear to be paired with anyone. 134 has spent some time with 210, but nothing seems likely. 149 is now spending more time at the South Rim (as she did before pairing with 114), and in the past was with 134, so who knows what the future holds for these birds South Rim Information: There is starting to be a lot of condor activity in the South Rim area with the weather improving. One day last week there were 17 birds in the area, including some younger birds and subadults. On March 1, the Interp Division starting giving daily condor talks at 3 p.m., and rangers are seeing condors sometimes during their programs. The Grand Canyon Interpretive staff will get the 2005 condor charts (including the pocket version) as soon as we receive all the information regarding this year's cohort to bring it up to date. Many thanks to Chad Olson and Thom Lord for keeping us up-to-date. ----------------------------------------- Allyson Mathis Park Ranger - Interpretation Grand Canyon National Park (928) 638-7955

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Condor Update as of November 4, 2004: California has had the first successful fledging of a wild chick since 1982! Here's the description of #326's first significant flight, written by Dr. Allen Mee on Nov 1: "Finally after what seems like months (ok weeks) of waiting for a dramatic first flight that was never going to happen, it seems like we finally have a fledged chick in California!!!! The date of fledging is pretty arbitrary as the chick left (slid/fell) the immediate nest area on Oct 10th and moved about on this vegetated strip below the nest cliff over the next 2-3 weeks. It fell further down the next tier of cliff on Oct 28th after being joined by a 2 year old condor (#277) but made its way back up the cliff the next day. On Nov 1st (today!) #326 made its first documented 'real' flight of c40m, ending up roosting safely in an oak lower down in the canyon by the end of the day. By any definition of fledging this chick has now made it to the next crazy and exciting stage in its development." Highlighted numbers from the Nov 1 stats: World total is still officially 246. (#300/tag 00 is still unaccounted for in AZ as is one of the wild birds in Baja, but one hopes they will re-appear.) AZ wild population is now at 49, since three of the six remaining one-year-olds were released from Vermilion Cliffs on October 16 (#291/tag 91, #293/tag -3, #316/tag 16). Our 49 wild condors = 44 flying + 3 being held at V.C. + 2 nestlings. Deer & elk hunting seasons continue intermittently through Dec 9--a scary time. Read more about that, about what's new with this year's chicks and last year's at Chris Parish's Oct 27 "Notes From the Field" on the Peregrine Fund web site, The nest watchers at Hopi Point are no longer hiding away in a cave but are setting up right at the stone wall. Generally if there is only one spotting scope set up there the observer will keep his or her eye glued to it. But when there are more than one scope set up, it may be possible to have a peek through one of them. Feel free to ask, and if it's a critical moment and both scopes are needed the observers can always say no. You may not have many more opportunities, since chick #350 could leave home any time in the next several weeks! --Marker Marshall Park Ranger--Interpretation Grand Canyon National Park (928)638-7830

Condor Update as of October 1, 2004: They've finally officially given up on #176, missing since February, which brings the worldwide total down to 246 and the total wild population in this area down to 46. That gives us 41 free-flying condors plus 2 nestlings plus 3 birds being held temporarily in the flight pen at Vermilion Cliffs. Other changes: 6 birds were released at Big Sur on September 25, bringing CA's wild population up to 51. It'll soon be 57 if all goes well, since there is a release of 6 condors from Pinnacles National Monument scheduled for October 15. And the AZ population will jump to 49 on October 16 (if things go as planned), when 3 of the 6 remaining one-year-olds are released from Vermilion Cliffs. That's #291 (tag 91), #293 (tag -3), and #316 (tag 16). After conversations with Chad Olson of GRCA and Tom Lord of Peregrine Fund I can add a few bits of news. Record numbers of condors--up to 13 or 14 at a time--have been spending time up in Utah this summer and fall, mostly around the Kolob Canyon area, in and around Zion National Park. There have been some range sheep dying, probably related to the drought, on private land in that area. Chris Parish of Peregrine Fund also mentions in his August Notes from the Field that there are a lot of deer around there, especially in winter, and it stays fairly warm. So it will be interesting to see if that remains a popular spot this winter. Condors have also found several deer carcasses during the recent bow-hunting season on the North Kaibab. Not surprisingly, they've been seen a little less regularly around the South Rim lately. One of the females released this March 20, #300 (tag 00), has been missing since September 8th. She has been a bit of a loner, so one hopes she's just out on a long solo flight or maybe her transmitters are both dead. If you see her, please call in the sighting to Peregrine Fund at (928) 355-2270! Last year's chick, #305, is mostly hanging out between Mojave Point and the Village area. He has been seen with a full crop on several occasions, so apparently he's finding food successfully (although one can't rule out that his parents could be feeding him). The one remaining chick in the wild in CA and the two here seem to be doing fine. There are some concerns that the chick in CA may well have some trash in its belly based on the foraging habits of its mother. But it seems to be o.k. and it's quite possible that condor chicks can handle a fair amount of trash if there's nothing toxic included and nothing gets punctured. (Zinc toxicity and a punctured gut have killed two nestlings in California in the last couple of years.) The chick in rehab for a broken wing since August seemed to be in excellent health otherwise, despite 35 bottlecaps in its gizzard. The final necropsy on the wild chick that fell and died in August was inconclusive, but showed no sign of toxins other than a somewhat high copper level in the blood. It's quite likely that it died of heat stroke outside the shelter of its nest cave, or possibly from trauma caused by the fall. We'll know more about this year's chicks soon, since the CA nestling should fledge by the end of the month and our own two by the end of November! If all goes well.... --Marker Marshall Park Ranger--Interpretation Grand Canyon National Park (928) 638-7830

Condor Update as of September 4, 2004: California condor numbers as of September 1. Highlights: Total Population: 247, (down one due to death of one wild chick in CA.) Wild Population: 100 = 47 in AZ + 45 in CA (down 2 due to death of one chick and removal from wild of another) + 8 in Baja California. Of Arizona's wild population, 47 = 42 free-flying + 3 held for approaching people + 2 chicks. These numbers still count condor #176 as part of the AZ population, although she hasn't been seen since February. Not included are the 6 one-year-olds awaiting release in the flight pen at Vermilion Cliffs. There was trouble this month for two of the three wild chicks in California. The first news item concerned the chick of 24-year-old AC-9 (the last wild condor caught in the 1980's and the only one back out in the wild today) and his 6-year-old mate. The chick was spotted down below its nest cave, alive but apparently injured. It looked as if a bit of the cliff may have given way and brought the chick down with it. The chick was brought into captivity, x-rayed, and found to be in generally good health and of good weight. But it had not only a broken wing, but also a bellyful of trash, including 35 bottle caps and one pop-top. They operated on the belly (technically the gizzard or ventriculus) first, and later pinned the wing. The chick withstood both operations well but can not be returned to the wild any time soon, if at all. Within a week of finding that first injured chick, a second chick was seen 20 feet below the mouth of its nest cave, alive. It was dead by the time biologists got to it. Preliminary necropsy results were inconclusive, but this chick too had some human trash in its gizzard. This leaves just one chick in the wild in California. Here in Arizona, both the Battleship and Vermilion Cliffs chicks appear to be doing fine. The Battleship chick is visible much of the time (if a 60-power spotting scope happens to be available!). Many nest watchers and some lucky park visitors have even gotten to see it being fed by one parent or the other. Feeding often occurs in the visible portion of the cave now, but the chick usually then disappears into the cave for an hour or so to sleep it off. This coming two weeks, there will be many opportunities (if you can get out there mid-week) to see the chick--or at least a close-up of the nest cave. Interpretive rangers are scheduled to be out at Hopi Point with a scope the afternoons of Tues 9/7, Wed 9/8, Thur 9/9, Mon 9/13, Wed 9/15, and Thur 9/16. They'll be out there by 12:30 or 1:00 p.m., and stay to about 4 p.m., weather and staffing levels permitting. Spread the word to park visitors! The Peregrine Fund's website now has Notes from the Field updated through July. Chris Parish mentions there that in Arizona we're now up to seven condors with GPS satellite transmitters on them, which has been tremendously helpful to field staff. For instance it helped him find a primary food source for the condors during July: nine horses killed by drought on the Havasupai Indian Reservation before the arrival of summer rains. The Peregrine Fund site also describes the capture of last year's chick, #305, in July. DNA results from the blood sample taken then are still not back to tell us 305's sex! Chad Olson reports that since its apparently traumatizing experience at Vermilion Cliffs, 305 has reverted to hanging out in Salt Creek Canyon and getting fed by its parents. One hopes that he or she will discover before winter comes that Vermilion Cliffs is actually a pretty safe place and a good spot to find food! The positive side is that this youngster is not likely to approach people any time soon. There has been some consideration lately of sending biologists into this year's nest caves to inoculate the chicks against West Nile Virus, and attach a transmitter at the same time. West Nile virus has shown up in corvids as nearby as Williams and Kanab (one in each). For now the unanimous decision is to leave the chicks alone, but make a major effort to catch them when they fledge this November or so. This decision could change if dead birds start showing up in the park, or near to Vermilion Cliffs. For those giving the condor talks or interested in the long-term potential of the release program and lessons learned to date, there is an excellent 15-page paper on the subject at http://www.peregrinefund.org/pdfs/condor/condor_paper.pdf Sophie Osborn, now on the Natural Resources staff of Grand Canyon National Park, is one of the co-authors. --Marker Marshall Park Ranger--Interpretation Grand Canyon National Park (928) 638-7830

Grand Canyon Condor Update as of August 7, 2004 Last year's chick, the famous #305, is no longer lacking in accessories. He or she finally made it to Vermilion Cliffs and was trapped, given tags marked 05 plus one radio transmitter and one GPS satellite transmitter. S/he was inoculated against west Nile virus, a quick field blood test was done to check for lead, and a blood sample was taken to be sent out for DNA analysis. (As you can tell, the results are not yet in so the sex is still unknown!) Lead levels were somewhat elevated, so 305 was held for a few days but has now been released. This year's chicks now have names--that is, stud book numbers. The V.C. chick is #348, and the Battleship chick is #349. (See attached photo of #349 taken by Chad Olson, Grand Canyon National Park Raptor Biologist. The chick is black with light-colored head & crop & legs, rather like its parents.) The chick is being seen regularly--through a 60 power spotting scope. Afternoon lighting is best. On those rare occasions when staffing allows, interpretive rangers may be out at Hopi Point with a scope. Or those who are dying to see the chick can get directions from Chad Olson (638-7648) or me on how to pop in on the nest watchers. I may also be able to tell you when an interpreter will next be out there. Better yet, contact Chad to become a nest watcher yourself! If you'd like an 8 1/2 X 11" photo that can be used to identify the nest cave as seen from Hopi Point, contact me. The August 1 numbers are out. A major milestone: the wild population is now over 100! (47 CA + 47 AZ + 8 Baja = 102.) World population is still officially at 248. One change in Arizona: there are now three condors on "time out" in the flight pen at Vermilion Cliffs, along with the six never-released one-year-olds. So not counting those three captives or the two chicks, that leaves 42 free-flying condors in the area. #176 is still being counted among AZ's wild birds, even though she hasn't been seen since February. The three delinquents are #273, a 2-year old male; #282, likewise; and #232, a 4-year-old male. --Marker Marshall Park Ranger--Interpretation Grand Canyon National Park (928) 638-7830

Grand Canyon Condor Update as of June 10, 2004 From Chad Olson of Grand Canyon National Park, regarding the Battleship nest here in the park, where an egg is believed to have been laid around March 24-26: "...The egg is believed to have hatched successfully on or around the 21st of May based on the parents’ behavior. Ever since hatching, the pair has switched attendance at the nest almost daily, and has switched twice in the same day on several occasions. At this point, the chick should be around 18 days old, however we haven’t seen the chick yet (and probably won’t for some time). On the negative side, the male (#122) has exhibited some aggression toward the female (#119) in the past week or so, at times excluding her from the nest for several hours. No inter-pair aggression was noted during nest switches until about 5 days post-hatching. After this time, the male seemingly became overly possessive of the chick, especially when the female returned to the nest. On a positive note though, the over-possessiveness of the male seems to be decreasing now (we hope); the switches have occurred normally the past two to three days. So overall, everything looks good for the South Rim Nest (for now at least). Lastly, I wanted to acknowledge the help that we’ve received in monitoring the South Rim Nest. We currently have a condor nest-watch program at Grand Canyon that involves over 40 volunteers, many of which are from the Grand Canyon Trust. Thanks in large part to the volunteer nest watchers, almost every nest switch since hatching has been observed, which has been incredibly important for monitoring and documenting the parental behavior during nest switches." Chris Parish of Peregrine Fund reports that the Vermilion Cliffs egg seems to have hatched around the 17th of May, based on the behavior of the parents who started to switch out every day or even twice a day about that time. "By now the chick should be somewhere in the 25-27 day range, but as was mentioned about the South Rim pair, we haven’t seen the chick to date." Chad also mentions: "The wild chick from last year (#305) continues to do extremely well. As of the evening of 7, May 305 was observed approximately 20 miles north of the Grand Canyon." So he or she is getting closer to the trap at Vermilion Cliffs, where tags & transmitters along with a blood test and West Nile Virus inoculation await! Interestingly, at both of these nests during the incubation of the eggs it was the males who took the longer stints in the cave. But then it was the females who had to produce that big egg, so I guess they deserved to give themselves a break. California breeding update as of June 11, 2004: All goes well with the 3 chicks in the wild in California, although one pair is spending a lot less time with their chick than the others, and there is some fear that this could be due to recent high levels of noise and activity at a nearby oil-pad. From Dr. Allen Mee: "Observations by Jan Hamber on one date suggested that the parents might have been reacting to noise on this pad by leaving the nest area. As if this pair has not had its share of drama, a black bear paid an unwelcome visit on May 6th, climbing to the nest cave entrance (a 'walk-in' site) only to meet up with Hoppers bear-repelling condor par excellence, #125! The bear made an undignified exit and has since not dared to return. The nest was checked on May 8th by Richard Posey (USFWS) and David Freed (USFS) who reported the chick to be safe and well. This is the 2nd year in a row that a bear has almost added condor to its menu at this pairs nest but been repelled by #125 and #111. The score so far: Condors 2, Bears 0! " Dr. Mee reports that at two of the California caves the chicks made their first appearance in the mouth of the cave or outside the cave at about age 5-6 weeks. The Battleship cave nest here at the Canyon is thought to be pretty far back in the cave judging by the weak radio signals, but nevertheless if all goes well some observer from Hopi Point may glimpse that chick through a spotting scope as soon as this July. Other news: The official world California condor total as of June 1 was 242 (over ten times the 1982 low), but this number did not include the two Arizona chicks. The population numbers are attached. In Arizona the official wild count was 45 as of June 1. This did not include the chicks. It does include two-year-old male #273 who is being held at Vermilion Cliffs, probably until fall, for approaching people. It also includes 6-year-old female #176, missing since February 11, but who was missing once before for 5 months. So if we assume #176 is alive and well, that gives us 44 free-flying condors in AZ & environs now, and 47 wild condors total. Of the one-year-olds released March 20, all four have now made it to Grand Canyon Village, so #305 has some potential company of his or her own age! --Marker Marshall Park Ranger--Interpretation Grand Canyon National Park (928) 638-7830

Grand Canyon Condor Update as of May 15, 2004 Unfortunately the May 1 stats still are not out! So depending on how many eggs have hatched in captivity and at Vermilion Cliffs, the total world California condor population might be anywhere from 222 to 250! The 222 figure includes the 218 population as of April 1 plus one egg that hatched May 9 at the Oregon Zoo and 3 that hatched in the wild in California. Six-year-old female #176 is still missing, but presumed alive for this reckoning. Biologists have scanned for her throughout the Canyon and north to Salt Lake City, but she might be in another direction of course. [Again, she's been missing since Feb 11 but she did disappear for 5 months once before.] So all three eggs in the wild in California hatched in April, on the 9th, 11th, and 22nd. The one that hatched on Easter Sunday, April 11, belonged to 24-year-old AC9 and his 6-year-old mate. AC9 was the last wild condor, caught Easter Sunday of 1987 but released May 1, 2002 after producing many chicks in his 15 years of captivity. AC9 is the grandfather of both our eggs here in AZ. He's the father of both Female #149 of the Vermilion Cliffs nest and Male #122 of the Battleship nest. No word yet on the Vermilion Cliffs nest, but hatching was expected around May 10-14, so we may already have a chick. The Battleship egg would be expected to hatch around May 20-24, so keep your fingers crossed. #133 & #158 never did lay on the North Kaibab as far as we know. Maybe next year! Of Arizona's 45 wild condors (not counting any possible chick), 3 are being held at Vermilion Cliffs. One is two-year-old male #273 who is on "time out" for approaching people, and will probably not be released until fall. The other two (#126 & 162) are being held to safeguard the pair bond between Vermilion Cliffs pair #149 & #114. They will probably be released in the next few weeks, but in the meanwhile they have been serving a useful purpose as mentors to the 6 one-year-olds in the flight pen. Mainly that means they keep the youngsters in their place! The four one-years olds released March 20 are starting to explore away from Vermilion Cliffs, but none have made it to the north or south rim yet. Navajo Bridge & the North Kaibab, yes. Older birds have been ranging south to Williams and north as far as Cedar City and Brian's Head in Utah lately. And here's a portion of Sophie Osborn's March 30 "Notes from the Field" from www.peregrinefund.org "The utility of these [five] GPS radios was really brought home to us when three-year-old Condor 246 left the release area and headed to the South Rim on the morning of March 17. We briefly received his radio signals at the South Rim later that morning and then Condor 246 disappeared for almost two days. Such disappearances by birds like Condor 246 that have proven track records of excellent behavior are usually of little concern since a condor tucked into the vastness of the Grand Canyon may temporarily elude our conventional tracking methods. We assumed Condor 246 was somewhere out in the Canyon for the short time that we didn’t receive his radio signals. To our astonishment, though, the GPS data told a very different story! After passing over the South Rim (about 54 miles south of the release area), Condor 246 continued southward and just kept going! He flew over Sedona, Arizona’s famed red cliffs then settled down for the night just west of Sedona (and 131 miles south of the release area). The following morning, Condor 246 headed northeast and flew along the Mogollon Rim, going as far west as Show Low, about 40 miles from the Arizona/New Mexico border! After spending the night near the White River in the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, Condor 246 made a beeline back to the South Rim on the morning of March 19. By early afternoon, crewmember Jonna Weidmaier was again receiving Condor 246’s signal at the South Rim. The following day, Condor 246 returned to the release site. Condor 246’s astonishing whirlwind tour of northeastern Arizona would have gone undetected were it not for his GPS transmitter. Indeed, Condor 235, who is wearing conventional transmitters may have accompanied Condor 246 on what amounted to at least a 546-mile journey in fewer than four days! As more and more condors grace Arizona’s skies, such new technology will be amazingly helpful to the field crew that works hard to keep track of and watch over each and every condor. " #305 still hasn't made it to Vermilion Cliffs to be caught, but has been seen regularly lately around Grand Canyon Village. Still hasn't fed on a carcass that we know of, but is instead being fed by his/her parents. Condors are showing up during or after the 3:30 p.m. Condor Talk at Lookout Studio almost every day. When the new Guide starts May 22, the afternoon Condor Talk will be at 4:00 p.m. and a morning one will be added at 9:30 a.m. --Marker Marshall Park Ranger--Interpretation Grand Canyon National Park (928) 638-7830

Grand Canyon Condor Update as of April 9, 2004 The April 1 Condor Stats are out. Eggs are starting to hatch in captivity, so the world total was up to 218 and may be higher by now. The Battleship cave is active again. #119 & #122 started incubating an egg in there around March 26-27. Judging by their behavior, all is well so far both for them and for #114 & 149 in their nest cave in the Vermillion Cliffs. Chad Olson is organizing volunteers to watch the Battleship nest. He'll probably do a training for volunteers early this coming week, so contact him a.s.a.p. if you're interested, at 638-7648 or chad_olson@nps.gov. Last year's chick, #305, is getting around more and more. It's roosted overnight by Plateau Point and near Lookout Studio, although most nights it still returns to Salt Creek drainage. It was seen flying east past Yaki Point one day, so it's made it at least that far east. As far as anyone knows, it hasn't fed on a carcass yet but is still getting all its foods from its parents. Female #176 is still missing, as she has been since Feb 11. Female #133 & male #158 are still hanging out together and showing interest in a cave on the North Kaibab National Forest. It's unknown whether they'll lay this year or not, but if they do it'll no doubt be in the next couple of weeks. Female #136 is also showing interest in #158, and may have to be trapped if #133 does indeed lay. The four most recently-released birds are staying close to the release site, but the birds released late last year are starting to explore as far as Navajo Bridge. --Marker Marshall, Grand Canyon National Park.

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Grand Canyon Condor Update as of March 26, 2004 The release of four one-year-old condors from Vermillion Cliffs on March 20 brings the total number of wild condors in AZ to 45! (Two of those are being held temporarily in the flight pen, however, to prevent them from jeopardizing the nesting success of #114 and 149. Plus there are 6 youngsters in the flight pen still awaiting release.) In CA there are 44 wild birds, and in Baja there are 5. World population still stands at 215 as far as I know. Condors are showing up pretty regularly during or after the daily 3:30 p.m. Condor Talks at Lookout Studio. I had 13 condors show up for my program this Wednesday! Of course visitors need to know there are no guarantees... #114 and #149 have been incubating an egg in a cave in the Vermillion Cliffs since about March 16. So far, so good! #119 and #122 still haven't laid an egg this year. They're the only other pair that is likely to lay this year in AZ. #176 has been missing since February 11th. But this is the same bird that disappeared for five months one winter, so no one's given up on her yet! Too bad she's not one of the four birds carrying a satellite transmitter. Our wild-born chick, #305, is responding well to the warm weather and the presence of so many other condors in the area. It is has done some mingling, and is exploring beyond the Salt Creek drainage. For instance it was spotted near Trailview Overlook the other day. The number of AZ condors is getting large enough that some creative tag numbers are now having to be employed. So for instance one of the juveniles awaiting release is #293. Since tags #93, 3, and 03 are all in use, #293 got tagged as -3. Once #305 gets caught, he or she will wear tag 05. Also, now that the chart of AZ birds has expanded into two pages, I've sorted it by tag number to save time in looking up birds that are seen. It's attached below. (Lotus Notes users: Launch, don't View). --Marker Marshall, Grand Canyon National Park.

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Grand Canyon Condor Chick Update 25 Nov 2003 The chick is doing well! Update from Sophie Osborn's Notes From the Field as of Nov 20: On November 7, we attempted to trap the chick to outfit it with radio-transmitters and vaccinate it against the West Nile Virus. We felt that given the chick's limited flight capabilities at this stage we had a chance at capturing it with our hand-held capture net. And capture it we did – well almost! At one point, we actually had it in the capture net, but unfortunately it managed to get out and ultimately eluded us. After our first capture attempt, the chick became extremely savvy and would not put itself in a position that would allow us to make a second attempt. So, for now, Condor 305 remains free of tags and transmitters. Thus far, Condor 305 is doing extremely well. It has made it through its first two weeks post-fledging and is taking more and more frequent flights (the longest being about 300 meters). It consistently roosts on the safety of the redwall cliff. Although, it has not yet mastered sufficient flight skills to soar or gain much altitude, it continues to make daily progress. The chick is sometimes visible from the rim now, as a black speck visible only in binoculars or just barely distinguishable as a condor with a spotting scope! It's staying in the Salt Creek drainage, and I saw it yesterday afternoon from the east side of Mojave Point. It was perched toward the bottom of the Redwall below Hopi Point. I talked to someone from Peregrine Fund late last week who gave the current number of free-flying condors as 12! (Although the official wild population count for Arizona is 38....) Turns out there have been enough close calls with lead poisoning this fall that the biologists decided to be cautious and hold at Vermillion Cliffs pretty much all the birds they have caught, until hunting season is over at the end of November. I'm not sure if they'll be released right away then, or if they'll wait a bit longer. This helps to explain the infrequency of condor sightings lately! Other condor news: the first release of condors from Pinnacles National Monument will take place Friday December 19. Starting December 1 there will be no more Condor Talks until the spring Guide period. --Marker Marshall

. February 26, 2003 More California Condors To Be Released In Park Area At 11a.m. on March 3rd, 2003, biologists from The Peregrine Fund will release two additional California condors from an aviary on top of the Vermilion Cliffs near the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona. The release of two of North America’s largest bird in northern Arizona will increase the population of free-flying California condors in Arizona to 35. Both condors are males and hatched at The Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho. Depending on conditions, a third condor may be released. A total of eight condors arrived at the release site on January 18th. The other young condors will continue to be held in a cliff-side aviary until they are ready for release later this year. Since their arrival from Idaho, the condors have been maturing and acclimating to their new surroundings in a large release facility on top of the cliff. After they are released, the birds are expected to stay close to the release site and slowly explore their new home. Regular updates are being provided on The Peregrine Fund’s home page (www.peregrinefund.org). "Observing more than 30 of the free-flying condors at once is spectacular," said Bill Burnham, Ph.D., president of The Peregrine Fund. "These additional young condors are very important and will enhance condor viewing opportunities in Arizona and Utah." "It's wonderful to see that more California condors will be released at the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument," said Roger Taylor, BLM Arizona Strip field manager. "Their presence enriches this beautiful area." Grand Canyon National Park superintendent Joseph Alston had this to say: "Visitors and staff at Grand Canyon National Park and the surrounding land management agencies are looking forward to this year's successful breeding attempts by condors in the wild. Our hopes run high that this will be the year that condors take one step closer to a viable and wild population in the southwest. Staff biologists are busy confirming nesting sites; and will be closely monitoring the additional condors from this latest release." The historic Arizona reintroduction is a joint project among The Peregrine Fund, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Southern Utah's Coalition of Resources and Economics, and numerous other partners. The Peregrine Fund, a non-profit conservation organization, is conducting the release, the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management are managing the habitat, the Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for the overall recovery of the species, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department is responsible for management of wildlife in the state. The California condors are being released as a "non-essential/experimental population" under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act. Section 10(j) provides that the species can be released in an area without impacting current or future land use planning. This authority has been spelled out further in an innovative agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local governments. This implementation agreement spells out a positive working relationship between the Federal government and the various local governments. Contact Information Maureen Oltrogge, Grand Canyon National Park, 928/638-7779

November 21, 2001 TWELVE CALIFORNIA CONDORS GO TO GRAND CANYON AREA Twelve California Condors will be transported to a new home on public land on Arizona’s Vermilion Cliffs, near the Grand Canyon, on November 27, 2001. Eleven of the condors hatched this year at The Peregrine Fund’s breeding facility in Boise, the other is a female that hatched in 1999 and was brought back into captivity on April 11, 2000 due to her interaction with humans. Biologists have been observing this condor in captivity for over a year and a half and now feel that she is ready to be re-released. The condors will be transported from Boise, Idaho to Page, Arizona on a U.S. Forest Service fire plane being provided by the Bureau of Land Management. From Marble Canyon they will be taken to the specially designed release aviary on top of the Vermilion Cliffs. Release is expected in early 2002, after the condors have acclimated to their new surroundings. This release will increase the population of California Condors in the Grand Canyon area from 25 to 37. "There are now 12 condors in Arizona that are old enough to pair up,” stated Dr. William A. Burnham, President of The Peregrine Fund. “Since an egg was laid by a pair last year, we feel that we are on the brink of condors breeding in the wild. Once this occurs, it would be the first condor reproduced in the wild since 1986 and would be further confirmation that the recovery effort is on track," finished Burnham. The historic Arizona release is a joint project between The Peregrine Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Arizona Game and Fish Department, National Park Service (NPS), CORE (Coalition of Resources and Economies), and numerous other partners. The Peregrine Fund, a non-profit conservation organization headquartered in Boise, Idaho, is largely funding and conducting the release; BLM and NPS are managing the habitat; USFWS is responsible for the overall recovery of the species; and the Arizona Game and Fish Department is responsible for all wildlife in Arizona. Regular updates from the field are being provided by biologists on The Peregrine Fund’s home page (http://www.peregrinefund.org). California Condors are being released in Arizona as a "nonessential experimental population" under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act. This experimental designation allows for condor reintroduction in the area without impacting current or future land uses or planning (except on National Park Service land where they are protected as a threatened species). This authority has been described further in an innovative implementation agreement between the Service and local governments. This "Implementation Agreement" describes, a positive working relationship between the Federal government and various local governments. The Service is presently conducting a formal review of the California Condor reintroduction program in Arizona, now in its fifth year. "We've enjoyed meeting with local citizens and officials and Federal land managers to better understand their concerns regarding management of the condors and how the program may be affecting their communities," said Jeff Humphrey, the Service's Condor Reintroduction Coordinator. Input from the conservation and scientific communities has also been solicited. "We are anxious to receive input from a variety of perspectives so that we can refine our recovery efforts and strengthen public acceptance of the condor recovery effort." There are currently 183 California Condors in the world, 57 in the wild in California and Arizona and 126 in captive breeding facilities (World Center for Birds of Prey, Zoological Society of San Diego, and Los Angeles Zoo). Contacts: Jack Cafferty, The Peregrine Fund, 208/362-3811 Jeff Humphrey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 602/242-0210 Mike Small, Bureau of Land Management, 435/688-3224 Maureen Oltrogge, Grand Canyon National Park, 928/638-7779 Susan MacVean, Arizona Game and Fish Department, 520/774-5045

March 27, 2001 CALIFORNIA CONDOR LAYS EGG in GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK First Egg from Re-introduced California Condors!! The first egg to be laid by a re-introduced California Condor occurred on March 25, in the Grand Canyon National Park. Biologists from The Peregrine Fund discovered the egg in a cave in the Grand Canyon after observing nesting behavior at the same location for the past several days. The egg was found broken, not an unusual occurrence for condors on their first nesting attempt. "It was so incredible, I kept doubting that it was really an egg at first," exclaimed Sophie Osborn, field biologist for The Peregrine Fund. "Although my first reaction was that it was an egg, since it would be the first from a re-introduced condor, I had to control my emotions and confirm what I was seeing," continued Osborn. "Any doubt I had was gone a short time later when a condor flew into the cave and moved the egg around. As soon as I was able to confirm that it was in fact an egg, I was able to express my elation and immediately called the office. It was a remarkable sight, a remarkable moment, and I wanted to share it with my co-workers who have worked so long and hard toward this day!" finished Osborn. The female condor who laid the egg hatched in March of 1995. She was released on the Vermilion Cliffs with eight other condors in May of 1997. The re-introduction effort is part of a joint project between The Peregrine Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Arizona Game and Fish, National Park Service (NPS), CORE, and numerous other partners. The Peregrine Fund, a non-profit conservation organization headquartered in Boise, Idaho, is conducting the release with funding provided from the private sector. "This is the first California Condor egg laid in the wild since 1986! What an important step forward for the entire reintroduction program. The cooperative efforts of all our partners are making a real difference in the conservation of the condor," said Mike Spear, California/Nevada Operations Manager for the USFWS. "This is very exciting news. For egg-laying to have occurred the first year it is biologically possible is remarkable! We hope this means we can look forward to wild-hatched condor chicks in Arizona over the next two to three years," stated Susan MacVean, Nongame Specialist for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. "We are pleased that the re-introduced California Condors chose Grand Canyon National Park as the place where they made their first nesting attempt," stated Joe Alston, Superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park. Although this is a critical step in establishing a viable wild breeding California Condor population, the egg was broken by one of the condor pair. Based on results from captive condors laying for the first time, it is not unusual for the egg to be broken. Copulations had been observed so this egg may have been fertile. Biologists believe there is a chance the condors may re-nest this year. Condors are a notoriously slow species to breed and the first breeding attempts do not occur until the birds are six years or older. The California Condors are being released as a "non-essential/experimental population" under section 10j of the Endangered Species Act. Section 10j provides that the species can be released in an area without impacting current or future land use planning. This authority has been further outlined in an innovative agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local governments. This "Implementation Agreement" provides a positive working relationship between the Federal government and the various local governments in the area. There are currently 160 California Condors in the world -- 49 in the wild in California and Arizona, 10 in pre-release field pens in California, and 101 in captive breeding facilities (World Center for Birds of Prey, Zoological Society of San Diego, and Los Angeles Zoo). Grand Canyon National Park Maureen Oltrogge (520) 638-7779  March 27, 2001

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