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According to an expert I met at the Grand Canyon during my vacation there last week, there were approximately 22 California Condors left on Earth in the early 1980s. Today, the number is more like 110. The fellow I met worked for a non-profit foundation dedicated to preserving this species. He explained that a captive breeding program had been established in the 80's to increase the population and that part of his work was to track the movement of the birds. Each bird released by the foundation is tagged with a number and a radio transmitter to help them track it down.
The California Condor is a bird that is similar to a vulture. It eats carrion (dead animal flesh). The bird lives up to 60 years, and has a wing span up to 9 feet wide. Condors mate for life, with both the male and female taking part in incubating the eggs and raising the young. Young condors are almost completely black in color. Some time around their 6th year, the condors become capable of reproduction and their heads change color to a whitish red. I was privileged enough during my vacation in Arizona last week to see four of the 110 "wild" California Condors at the Grand Canyon. Pictures appear below (click the "Read More" link below to see them if they are not already visible). (If a "Read More" link appears below, click it to view the article with the photos.)
Here are some interesting and useful resources about these birds: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esb/2000/05-06/08-09.pdf http://www.peregrinefund.org/conserve_category.asp?category=California%20Condor%20Restoration
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