Seven California condors have been released into the wild in Yurok Country on the California-Oregon border, USA.
These giants of the avian world are North America’s largest land bird, with wingspans often exceeding 3m. They can weigh more than 10kg and are estimated to live for over 60 years.
The California condor is also one of the world’s rarest birds. Once ranging from Canada down to Mexico, their numbers fell drastically as European settlers moved westwards through North America.
Poisoning, shooting, egg collecting and habitat degradation all contributed to their decline and, by the 1980s, just 22 individuals remained in the wild. Conservationists made the decision to capture these birds and place them in captive breeding programmes.
Now, some four decades on, there are thought to be just over 600 alive – and half of these live in the wild.
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The recent release of seven California condors in Yurok Country is another milestone in efforts to re-establish the species across its historic range.
The birds were bred by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance as part of the Northern California Condor Restoration Program (NCCRP), in collaboration with the Yurok Tribe and Redwood National and State Parks.
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Top image: California condor. Credit: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
