Yavapai County man gets seat on Game and Fish Commission Feb 13, 2008
According to Napolitano's office, Freeman founded a technology firm that developed software to track wildlife for biologists and regulatory agencies and also launched a private operation to use donated aircraft to relocate wildlife, including California Condors. The appointment is subject to Senate confirmation. (AZCentral -- News)
Experts: 47 Ariz. birds at risk Dec 14, 2007
"All of us in Arizona have an opportunity and responsibility to help protect our birds at greatest risk, including California condors and gilded flickers," said Tice Supplee, director of bird conservation for Audubon Arizona ... California condors, whose population was once reduced to only 9, are members of the vulture family and are on the red-list ... California condors are slowly recovering thanks to conservation efforts from the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the Peregrine Fund and the... (AZCentral -- News)
Hunters embracing lead-free ammunition to save condors Nov 15, 2007
There are 59 California condors in the state. Twenty-two condors remained in 1982. (AZCentral -- News)
600 Acres Burned At Wild Animal Park Oct 27, 2007
Some of the animals housed in perimeter regions of the park, such as the critically endangered California condors, had been relocated during the fires to safe areas. However, most of the wildlife remained inside their large field enclosures, which are designed to be fire-safe due to the nutrient dense, eco-irrigated landscape that functions as a natural safety blanket during fires. (TheSanDiegoChannel.com, CA)
Lead From Carrion Killing Off Calif. Condors Oct 26, 2007
Then, in the dark of night, they drag the bovine corpses into clearings visible at dawn from the heights flown by California condors, a species that has battled back from the brink of extinction but is not yet trusted to feed itself ... But left to plan their own meals, they will swoop down on the carcasses of animals killed by hunters and, in gobbling the carrion feast, ingest chunks of the bullets that scientists now call the most persistent threat to the reestablishment of California condors... (Yahoo News -- Environment & Nature)
Whales, dolphins abound off Farallones Oct 21, 2007
I ended up hiking and camping on a rare day when no one else was there. I checked every campsite and no one was about. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Sports)
Gov. signs bills to track bullets, ban toxic toys Oct 16, 2007
-- AB821, by Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara, which bans lead-based bullets in the range of California condors - scavengers who can die ingesting lead. -- SB880, by Ronald Calderon, D-Montebello, which allows the import and sale of kangaroo leather favored by many soccer players. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Egg colour indicates DDT Oct 8, 2007
Bald eagles, peregrine falcons, California condors and many other species were brought near to extinction. Gosler was curious whether eggs laid by DDT-contaminated birds showed signs of poor maternal health in their colouration. (Nature News Service)
The gay voter's guide to the GOP Sep 22, 2007
The remarkable recovery of California condors is now threatened by lead bullet fragments left in the wild by hunters. Its fate rests with the governor. (Salon)
Letters to the Editor Sep 19, 2007
Editor - If the governor wasn't such a girlie man, he would have stood up to pressure and not dumped the Fish and Game Commissioner who wanted to protect the remaining California condors. Hunters have long claimed that they care about wildlife conservation, but the opposition to banning lead bullets, as proposed in AB821, suggests otherwise. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Where did all the young bass come from? Sep 16, 2007
-- Lead bullet showdown: Assembly Bill 821, which would ban the use of bullets containing lead for hunting in the range of California condors, was passed by the Senate last week and is now sitting on the desk of Gov. Schwarzenegger for signing or veto. Condors can die by ingesting lead while eating dead animals left or lost by hunters. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Sports)
Birders Flock To Monterey Sep 16, 2007
The festival is timed during the overlap between two major Pacific Flyway migrations to maximize the variety of birds that participants might see, from tiny marsh wrens to great California condors. Field trips with Newberry, Templeton, Elliott and other experts range through the central coast from Big Sur in the south to Waddell Creek in northern Santa Cruz County, from the open ocean to the Santa Cruz Mountains. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Travel)
Puppet parents raise troubled condors Aug 8, 2007
California condors reared by puppets have social difficulties in adulthood, researchers have found. Captive-born birds raised by puppets and released into the wild show an unhealthy curiosity about humans, and are less social with other condors, say biologist Amy Utt of Loma Linda University, California, and her colleagues. (Nature News Service)
International Fight League Athletes, Coaches, TV Personality Steve Wilkos Team with HeadBlade for Clinic and Meet and Greet at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Monday, July 16 Jul 13, 2007
Among the IFL athletes attended and conducting the clinic at Miramar will be a pair of former Marines, Adam Lynn (Pittsburgh) of the Southern California Condors and Brian Foster (Moreno Valley, Calif. of the San Jose Razorclaws. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Annual count shows decline for a variety of bird species Jun 17, 2007
Public alarm over dwindling U.S. bird populations has mostly focused on the ups and downs of a few relatively rare, hard-hit species -- the charismatic bald eagles, peregrine falcons and California condors. Researchers for the National Audubon Society released figures this week that they say illustrate a broader, less noticed problem: the steady decline of a variety of more common birds. (Scripps Howard News Wire)
Review recommends condor program to continue Apr 21, 2007
PHOENIX A decade-long program to reintroduce California Condors to Arizona and Utah should continue. That's what a review of the program recommends. (KOLD.com, AZ)
Libraries close Apr 7, 2007
I just finished a term paper on California condors. I wouldn't have been able to do it without the library. (Mail Tribune, OR)
Taking Aim at Hunters' Ammo Apr 6, 2007
There, according to Paul Andreano of the "unleaded sportsman" organization Project Gutpile and other wildlife experts, lead has caused the death of 13 California condors. Thirteen may not sound like a large number, but it is for an endangered species whose population was down to a mere 22 in the 1980s and now, after two decades of capturing and breeding, still only hovers at 279 individual birds. (Time.com)
OUTDOORS NOTEBOOKWant a challenge? Try diving for abalone Apr 1, 2007
" Notes of note Smith is open: The state fishing rulebook says the Smith River closes to fishing on March 31, but that's a mistake. The main stem Smith is open through April 30, notes the Department of Fish and Game in a press release. Speaking of the Smith: I just posted a photo of one of the prettiest fish I've ever seen, a 20-pound steelhead caught on the Smith River by Kevin Brock; TomStienstra.com. Lead showdown: A big fight is looming over the use of lead in bullets and the threat it poses... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Sports)
Condors Gone Wild Apr 1, 2007
" The person in the room opens one of the double trap doors, and when a couple of birds wander into the trap area, he shuts that inner door before opening an outer door to freedom. The birds never see a human and never know exactly what happened. One minute they're in the trap, the next moment they're free, like Alice going through the looking glass. The public will be waiting and watching from a distance. If they are lucky, they will see these juveniles take their first flight out in the open... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Travel)
Researcher Finds High Mercury Levels In Montana Osprey Mar 21, 2007
Lead poisoning from hunters bullets has played a large role in the demise of California Condors, and Langner said lead bullets are in the process of being outlawed in sensitive habitat areas in that state. But his study is among the first to focus on golden eagles. (Science Daily)
Threatened Vulture Wanders Far From Mongolia Mar 21, 2007
As part of their research, they have been placing leg bands on young vultures just before they fledge, and in 2005 began attaching large wing tags that were originally developed for California condors. Mongolian and Denver Zoo biologists initiated the study to better understand the factors influencing nesting success in the hopes of conserving the species and facilitate recovery in other portions of its range. (Science Daily)
Louis Chude-Sokei penned an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times about the controversy over Barack Obama's racial identity. . . and more Mar 5, 2007
Research led by environmental toxicologist Donald Smith was featured in a New Scientist magazine article about the threat to California condors from lead bullets. The Korea Herald cited music professors Hi Kyung Kim and David Cope in an article about how Western composers are reviving Korean music by developing new repertoires for the "gayageum," an 1,800-year-old, 12-stringed, traditional Korean instrument. (US Santa Cruz Currents, CA)
County Lines for Feb. 8, 2007 Feb 8, 2007
Cleanup crews are working to keep the oil from spreading to areas where California condors are known to drink, officials said. Insects, frogs, a snake and a songbird have been found with oil. (Santa Maria Times)
Regulators To Consider Ban On Lead Bullets To Protect Condor Feb 5, 2007
State wildlife regulators voted to consider banning or limiting lead bullets for big-game hunting to protect endangered California condors. The state Fish and Game Commission decided Friday to serve notice of its intent to amend hunting regulations for 2007-2010 to eliminate lead ammunition in the state's condor ranges. (KSBW 8, CA)
Wildlife advocates seek ban on 2 poisons Jan 25, 2007
Secondary Navigation. Wed Jan 24, 4:26 PM ET. (Yahoo News -- Environment & Nature)
Condors released in SLO back country Jan 24, 2007
(AP) Endangered California condors are now being released from a remote wildlife refuge at the eastern edge of San Luis Obispo County. Six juvenile condors and an adult bird were recently released at the 14,000-acre Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge near the Carrizo Plain, which straddles the San Luis Obispo, Kern and Ventura county lines. (Yreka Siskiyou Daily News, CA)
Bald eagle delisting draws local support Jan 22, 2007
Run under the auspices of the Peregrine Fund, the World Center monitors Aplomado falcons and California condors. In the past it tracked peregrine falcons, which were delisted as endangered in 1999. (Nampa Idaho Press-Tribune, ID)
Grand get-away Jan 18, 2007
While animal and bird life is minimal in January, we were lucky to identify two California condors, spied via binoculars by avid birdwatcher Grantham, sunning themselves on cliffs high above the trail. One of many natural gifts received en route. (Montana Standard, MT)
Loving Big Sur in winter -- when it storms and drizzles Jan 8, 2007
" Running from Carmel, 150 miles south of San Francisco, to San Simeon, Big Sur's mass of tight mountains pushes brazenly against the Pacific swell. Kelp forests sway at the feet of rugged sea cliffs. Deep valleys shelter some of the southernmost redwoods. The only way through this fastness is along winding, breathtaking California Route 1. Nearly two decades after settling in, Miller wrote "Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch," a collection of fond, philosophical sketches that expressed... (San Francisco Chronicle)
California: State sued over poisoning of condors Dec 1, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO A coalition of environmentalists, hunters and American Indians sued state wildlife regulators Thursday for allowing lead ammunition to poison endangered California condors. The lawsuit alleges that the state Fish and Game Commission and Department of Fish and Game has allowed hunters to use lead bullets in areas where condors scavenge the carcasses of hunted animals. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Officials examine future of lead shot Nov 17, 2006
According to studies, endangered California condors are apparently ingesting bullet fragments found in deer carcasses. If you believe the antis, federal and state wildlife managers are asleep at the switch on the lead shot issue, which couldn't be further from the truth. (Camdenton Lake Sun Leader, MO)
Parasites lost Nov 3, 2006
VINCE SMITH The bird louse Colpocephalum californici lived only on California condors ... In 1987, for example, biologists captured the last remaining wild California condors 22 birds for a captive breeding program intended to preserve the endangered species ... Indeed, there are now 289 California condors, 138 of them released into remote areas of California, Arizona and Mexico. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Gary Glatzmaier and Robert Coe featured on program about Earth's magnetic field on the PBS series NOVA..... and more Oct 30, 2006
Environmental toxicologist Donald Smith was quoted in an article in USA Today about lead poisoning in California condors. The Post-Standard of Syracuse ran a story about a speech delivered by history of consciousness professor Angela Davis at an anti-war rally in New York. (US Santa Cruz Currents, CA)
Thanks for 60 years of service Oct 20, 2006
Idaho s air guardsmen have also flown flood-relief missions in northern and eastern Idaho, delivering hay to starving cattle and carrying several California Condors to safety at the Birds of Prey center. Since 2001 the unit has been focused mainly on Iraq. (Nampa Idaho Press-Tribune, ID)
Lori Kletzer's work on labor outsourcing made the New York Times business pages... and more Sep 11, 2006
Research on lead poisoning in California condors led by environmental toxicologist Donald Smith was covered in the Monterey Herald, Salinas Californian, and Santa Cruz Sentinel. Earth scientist James Zachos was quoted in an article about global warming that ran in the San Jose Mercury News, Sacramento Bee, and about 35 other national media outlets. (US Santa Cruz Currents, CA)
Rare Condors Being Poisoned by Bullets, Study Confirms Sep 8, 2006
California condors first began to decline during the Pleistocene era, which ended about 12,000 years ago. The extinction of many large mammals left the vultures with little to eat. (National Geographic)
Study Confirms Ammunition As Main Source Of Lead Poisoning In Condors Sep 3, 2006
A study led by environmental toxicologists at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has confirmed what wildlife biologists have long suspected: Bullet fragments and shotgun pellets in the carcasses of animals killed by hunters are the principal sources of lead poisoning in California condors that have been reintroduced to the wild ... Church worked with researchers at several institutions and organizations, including the Ventana Wildlife Society and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to... (Science Daily)
August Geology and GSA Today media highlights Jul 22, 2006
In coastal regions, marine megafauna may have provided a "buffer" that allowed some large predators or scavengers, such as California condors, to survive into the Holocene. To track the influence of marine resources on avifaunas, Fox-Dobbs et al. analyzed the carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen isotopic composition of collagen from late Pleistocene vultures and raptors, including species that survived the extinction (condor, bald eagle, golden eagle) and extinct species (teratorn, black vulture). (EurekAlert!)
Condors seen at risk for lead poisoning Jun 22, 2006
(AP) - Wildlife officials laid traps for California condors to test for lead poisoning after many were spotted feeding on squirrels that had been shot. Even microscopic lead traces from ammunition can paralyze digestive systems in the endangered species and cause the birds to starve to death, park officials said. (Herald Online, SC -- Health)
Tom Stienstra Jun 19, 2006
Condors going wild: California condors released at the Pinnacles in San Benito County two years ago sailed over the ridge west to Big Sur last week to feed on a whale that washed up dead, another sign that condors hatched in captivity are adjusting to life in the wild. Tahoe view: At South Tahoe, Heavenly Mountain Resort has opened its gondola for rides to the 9,123-foot observation deck and for sweeping views of the lake. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Sports)
Report: Monuments' archaeology sites at risk May 20, 2006
Release area for endangered California condors. Final management plan expected in fall. (AZCentral -- News)
With multiuses in mind, BLM knocks at the backdoor to Grand Canyon May 7, 2006
A 7,100-acre ''play area" for dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles would be established. And although that area would be outside the monuments, it would be next to land set aside to protect a threatened cactus and an American Indian petroglyph site.Critics, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the local county board of supervisors, say the agency's plan fails to protect the two monuments with their thousands of historic and cultural sites, and exposes fragile BLM lands to nearly... (Boston Globe -- Nation)
Pinnacles park nearly 2,000 acres bigger Apr 19, 2006
The property has gained fame since 2003 when biologists released California condors there as part of restoration efforts. There are now 13 condors living in the park. (San Jose Mercury News)
Middle of Nowhere Is a Center of Conflict Apr 19, 2006
Others say the proposal won't safeguard rare plants and animals, such as the desert tortoise and 20 species of raptors and other birds, including a colony of California condors reintroduced at Vermilion Cliffs. "What you have in the Arizona Strip is a kind of sleepy place that has been highlighted with two monuments, but the BLM hasn't really risen to these different challenges," said Martha Hahn, a former BLM administrator with 21 years at the agency. (Los Angeles Times)
Rare Calif. condors spotted nesting Mar 31, 2006
- For the first time in more than 100 years, California condors were spotted nesting in the northern part of the state, scientists said. The condor couple was found Monday displaying typical nesting behavior inside a hollowed-out redwood tree in Big Sur, a mountainous coastal region south of Monterey, the Ventana Wildlife Society announced. (MSNBC -- Environment)
BIG SURCondors are nesting in coastal redwood Mar 31, 2006
BIG SUR / Condors are nesting in coastal redwood / Northern California has first sighting in more than century. And your heart just kind of jumps right up into your throat. (San Francisco Chronicle)
7 more condors flying free in Arizona Mar 3, 2006
Seven California condors soared over northern Arizona skies Thursday to join their species in reclaiming a place in the world ... The seven birds released Thursday bring to 66 the number of California condors flying free in Arizona; there are 273 captive and free-flying birds in all ... At one time, California condors ranged from the West Coast to the South to western New York. (AZCentral -- News)
Environmentalist To Speak About Condors Feb 26, 2006
In 1987, there were only 27 California condors left - all of which were in captivity. Thanks to the recovery program, however, there are roughly 200 condors today, some of which have been released back into the wild. (Daily Nexus, CA)
To the very lastWhy we must try to save a species even if the cause seems lost Feb 25, 2006
Others can debate the ethical and economic issues of human health budgets, but the point here is to ask whether spending, for instance, $40m to save the last 22 California condors might have been better spent on species with a higher probability of longer-term survival. But this investment has led to the recovery of the California condor to the extent that it is now being reintroduced to its habitat of thousands of years ago, in the Grand Canyon in Arizona. (BBC News -- Science)
2 condors being treated at Phoenix Zoo Feb 15, 2006
California Condors eat large, dead animals. Too often, they ingest lead fragments left in the remains of animals killed by hunters. (AZCentral -- News)
