The California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is a New World vulture, the largest North American land bird. This condor became extinct in the wild in 1987 (all remaining wild individuals were captured), but the species has been reintroduced to northern Arizona and southern Utah (including the Grand Canyon area and Zion National Park), the coastal mountains of central and southern California, and northern Baja California. Although other fossil members are known, it is the only surviving member of the genus Gymnogyps.
The plumage is black with patches of white on the underside of the wings; the head is largely bald, with skin color ranging from gray on young birds to yellow and bright orange on breeding adults. Its huge 3.0 m (9.8 ft) wingspan is the widest of any North American bird, and its weight of up to 12 kg (26 lb) nearly equals that of the Trumpeter Swan, the heaviest among native North American bird species. The condor is a scavenger and eats large amounts of carrion. It is one of the world's longest-living birds, with a lifespan of up to 60 years.[2]
Condor numbers dramatically declined in the 20th century due to poaching, lead poisoning, and habitat destruction.[3] A conservation plan was put in place by the United States government that led to the capture of all 22 remaining wild condors in 1987. These surviving birds were bred at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and the Los Angeles Zoo. Numbers rose through captive breeding and, beginning in 1991, condors were reintroduced into the wild. The California Condor is one of the world's rarest bird species: as of May 2013, population counts put the number of known condors at 435, including 237 living in the wild and 198 in captivity.
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PORTLAND — The first California condor chick hatched in Oregon in more than a century was set free in California on Saturday, the Oregon Zoo said.
The condor, 15-month-old Kun Wak Shun, had been fostered by an established condor pair.
Though there are no plans yet to release California condors in Oregon, the California condor's former range did extend as far north as the Columbia River.
Explorers Lewis and Clark documented sightings in their journal, calling it a "Vulture of the Columbia" and noted that the species was common. The last condors were seen in Oregon in 1904, near the town of Drain.
Former Oregon Zoo Assistant Condor Curator Joe Burnett, now Condor Coordinator at Ventana Wilderness Society, coordinated the release at Pinnacles National Monument in central California.
The bird was fitted with a GPS satellite tracking tag and was released with four other condors his age.
Biologists will monitor feeding and water sites to ensure that the newly freed birds eat and drink with the wild flock. They will also map daily movements.
Kun Wak Shun began preparation for his release six months ago. He is now full-grown with a wingspan of nearly 10 feet and a weight of 19 pounds.
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