Ventana Wildlife Society - Condor Reintroduction Field Notes

As Interns join the Condor Recovery effort, they come to see every condor as an individual. With just over 300 condors in the world and only 40 condors in the wild here in Monterey County, it is impossible to observe these birds every day and not notice that each condor marches to their own drummer. Collectively, condors live life at a relaxed pace. They spend most of their time idling in treetops, or riding gentle updrafts in slow circles in friendly groups of around 8 individuals. Since they are so social, groups of condors routinely meander up down and around the Big Sur coast, like they are riding a gigantic carousel. It is no wonder that the official name for a group of condors is a party. The biologists on the condor project log many hours documenting this slow social whirl. Occasionally, we see behaviors that we don’t expect, and cause us to reevaluate how we view the life of a condor. Life isn’t always a party, and these giants are not always gentle.

Most of this month, we have noticed our adult condors beginning the breeding cycle, which will reach a fever pitch this January. Most of the year, condors are not territorial, but during the breeding season a pair of mated condors will vigorously chase away any intruders from their nest. Our condor flock is young, and most of our adults have mated only recently. In some cases, the boundary between one pair’s nesting territory and their neighbors is under dispute. Condors who genuinely enjoyed dining on dead sea lion together last month are now grappling viciously in midair, and appear to be earnestly trying to harm one another. It turns out that good fences make good neighbors whatever species you belong to.

The three wild condor chicks we are monitoring are still doing well. Two of these chicks could take their first flight at any time. Their feathers are grown in completely, they are almost identical in size to their parents, and they spend much of their day exercising their wings and teetering on the edge of their nest. For us, watching from a distance, we know exactly how parents feel when their teenagers get their learner’s permit and start driving. One of the nests is in such a remote area, it takes a helicopter, hundreds of feet of climbing rope, and three highly trained daredevils (who are also condor biologists) to check on this chick.

This is the parents’ first breeding attempt, and it is actually very rare for novice parents to lay a fertile egg, incubate it successfully, and raise the chick to full adult size amidst a giant wildfire with no human intervention at all. Earlier in September, the daredevils did enter this nest, and found a healthy chick sitting inside a redwood tree cavity 180 feet above the ground. Somehow this little “miracle” chick survived the intense fires that ripped through the nest area. The chick was given a small numbered tag and tiny transmitter so we could follow it as it learns to fly. Go to this link to see photos/videos and vote for to name this chick - http://www.ventanaws.org/species_condors/bigsurfire2008.htm

The third chick, a male, still needs to grow his feathers in a bit more and does not seem as eager to leave his comfortable cliff as the others. We figure that he will take another few weeks before he is ready to try flight.

The Deer Hunting Rifle season in Monterey County ended on the 22nd of September. We plan to trap the entire flock to test for lead poisoning early in October, but intervention did not come soon enough for Pinnacles National Monument condor #336, who died of lead poisoning on September 7th. Observers in the field could see she was ill and assisted Pinnacles biologists in capturing her in Big Sur for veterinary treatment. Veterinarians in Monterey and at the Los Angeles Zoo did all they could to assist her recovery, but she was too weak to recover from the toxic level of lead in her system. The official necropsy report is still pending…if you would like to know more about condor #336, please visit-

The weather in Big Sur this summer has been unusual from the get go. The summer solstice, officially the start of summer, presented us with the pyrotechnic storm system that resulted in so many California wildfires. Since then, the weather has generally been cooler and foggier than usual this time of year. However, August was more true to form, with some very hot weather. When the temperatures rise, we normally see condors gathering around water sources, both to drink and bathe.

Condors do not have a reputation for great personal cleanliness. They eat food that we find stinky, and biologists who have held condors in order to give them a medical check up can tell you that they have a strange musty odor that is not entirely pleasant. However, we can tell you that condors really do enjoy bathing, especially in hot weather. It must be hard to be covered in black feathers when it is 95 degrees outside. They generally bathe in groups, and it brings out their playful natures. Our water system was destroyed in the Basin Complex fire, and since then, we have been carrying water in big jugs to refill the stone bath that we maintain for the condors in the backcountry. Repairs to the water system have been partially completed, and we are using the rebuild as an opportunity to improve the condor bathing pool design. The end result will not be like a flume ride in a water park(!), but will provide fresher, cooler water and a small lively stream exiting the current condor pool.

We have three nests in Big Sur this summer, and each one has just one chick. We entered two nests in August, with plans to enter the third in early September. Both of the chicks examined this month had medical check ups to make sure they were healthy. We were relieved to find that both of them were fine. They are nearly as heavy as adult condors, and their feathers have partially grown in. Growing in feathers all over their bodies must be itchy and uncomfortable, and requires huge amounts of energy. The chicks currently store most of their weight as fat in their plump bottoms, which makes their walk more like a waddle. It will be at least a month before the feathers are fully developed and the chicks have exercised their muscles enough to try flight with those gigantic wings!

The condors fed on many sea lions that washed up dead on Big Sur’s beaches this month. They seem to prefer sea lion to any other type of meat, and spend hours each day flying up and down the coastline looking for their next meal. When they are down on the beaches, they have learned the hard way to keep one eye looking west, as observers have seen large waves wash up surprising feeding condors. It’s never a good idea to turn your back to the ocean!

Big Sur, widely renowned as a hotbed of art and alternative living, experienced a more literal conflagration this July. The Basin Complex Fire mentioned in last month’s web update was by no means contained as the calendar moved to July. In fact, the Big Sur Valley’s biggest crisis came on July 1st, when the fire jumped over the coastal ridge’s fire lines and headed for Highway 1. Structures were lost and the entire Big Sur Valley was evacuated on the morning of July 2nd. Highway 1 was closed from Palo Colorado Canyon all the way to Lucia. Fourth of July here was fiery and visually stunning due to Mother Natures’ pyrotechnics, but no celebration. We were all too busy worrying.

On July 8th, the highway reopened, and all the tourists who had been bottled up at the highway closure were allowed to go see “the new Big Sur”. Residents, business owners, and employees had been allowed into Big Sur Valley a few days earlier. For our own safety, we had been unable to effectively monitor our condor flock, put out condor food, or refill the water bath for the last two weeks. Many condors in the Big Sur flock chose to leave for Pinnacles National Monument, where there was food, fresh water, and safety.

The Big Sur condor crew was finally able to get a full day of condor tracking in on the 7th of July. As we put together the new data we had, it became apparent that two condors, 278 and 377, were absent day after day. We have tracked exhaustively throughout central California by vehicle searching for them, let the other release sites know of our concern, and even sent up a plane to find them with no luck. Our best guess is that they chose to sleep in a tree that burned later that night. Condors have sensitive lungs, and would have been overwhelmed by heavy smoke. Also, they do not have good night vision, and would have been unable to fly away if the fire approached them at night. Radio-transmitters will not operate if burned, which would explain why we have had no signals. We miss these condors, an irretrievable loss for a species so rare, but are thankful that the rest of the flock chose to evacuate out of an unsafe area. All other condors and all three chicks in the wild nests are doing well.

Our backcountry monitoring station was south of the source of the fire. Fire crews, asked to fight hundreds of fires throughout California, were forced to triage. They chose to concentrate their resources on the north and west flanks of the fire, its closest approach to hundreds of homes and residents. On June 24, a camera we use to catch footage of condor feeding had the perspective of the century as fire consumed most of the canyon where we release condors. We were all astonished to later find that the outdoor camera was completely unharmed by the fire and had a very full memory card. Unfortunately, one of our condor pens was completely destroyed, condensed into an odd puddle of metal and glass. The other was three quarters destroyed and needs extensive repairs. Our water pipes and storage tanks melted into new and crazy shapes and are no longer capable of holding water.

On July 8th, Joe Burnett and Kelly Sorenson were the first ones to return to the refuge, and reportedly stopped, blinked quite a few times, then hooted in shock when our cabin first came into view. It stood virtually untouched in an ashy and otherworldly wasteland. The fire approached to within 2 feet of the structure, with cracked glass in the windows testifying to the intense heat as the surrounding forest burned. We attribute its survival to a metal roof, and our 30 foot fire clearance. Every biologist on the species recovery project has had their share of fire clearance, which provides unlimited opportunities to acquire blisters, sweat buckets, swat biting insects, and immerse themselves in thickets of poison oak. I hope everyone who worked on our fire clearance hears that their hard work saved the cabin.

We entered one of our condor nests on July 15th. The chick, a male, is completely healthy and progressing normally. In a few weeks he will be hopping around the entrance to his cave nest, strengthening his muscles and practicing for the big plunge. At about five and a half months, condor chicks take their first flight. Since their caves are always elevated on sheer cliffs or at the top of trees, that first flight is quite a long step. We will be entering the other two condor nests as soon as it is safe to do so. The fire in Big Sur is 100% contained, but that is not at all the same as it being OUT. Big Sur will smolder for months to come, which is why a lot of the backcountry trails are shut and will stay that way.

Now that Big Sur is ready for visitors, we would like to mention that the condors have found a dead sea lion washed up on a Big Sur beach. Since it is quite a large animal, they may be feeding on it for a week or more.

Another big event happened with the condor crew this July. Sayre Flannagan who has been with the crew for four years and more then half of that time as field supervisor said her goodbyes at the end of this month. She moved on to pursue another job possibly with the condor lead outreach program in southern California. Her hard work, willingness to always lend a hand, and great people skills will be missed for a long time.

Taking over the reins from Sayre is Mike Tyner who has worked with VWS off and on for the last 6 years. Mike got hooked on condors while volunteering at Hi Mountain Lookout, a restored USFS Fire Lookout in San Luis Obispo County today used as a remote field site for tracking condors flying between central and southern California. Although since joining VWS Mike has mainly worked with the condor reintroduction program, he has also worked with many of our other projects including the banding lab at Andrew Molera State Park, bird-powerline interactions in the central valley, and conducted extensive surveys throughout the big sur area for Spotted Owls. Until next time…

Nest entries this month have provided us with great insights on two of the three wild chicks. Blood results for 171 and 194's chick indicate that this chick is a boy! The little one is growing so fast! Feathers are darker gray and bill and feet are much larger compared to previous weeks, plus his weight is also healthy. Condor 204 and 222's chick, also determined to be a boy, has shown great progress this month. During the first nest entry in May we discovered that this he was slightly underweight. Fortunately at the second nest visit this month we found that this chick had doubled in size and is looking great!

This month started out with the Indians fire in Los Padres National Forest, visible to the east from the condor site, but still at a safe distance from us. We kept a wary eye on the smoke, but it seemed as if we were well enough away to avoid panic. Content in our safety, we carried on our usual field observations of feeding wild condors and development of the captive chicks.

The first day of summer (June 21st), however, threw a significant wrench into the proverbial gears. Quite visible from the porch of our cabin, dark clouds quickly collected over the ocean and moved in towards the land. Passing our canyon to the west and north, the storm system nevertheless laid down a reported 200 lightening strikes in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. The flames spread quickly, forcing the evacuation Coast Ridge Road by that evening.

The following day, it was clear that the fire was growing exponentially and that access to the cabin and the captive chicks would be a challenge. The situation seemed dire when all of our contacts with helicopters were already dispatched to help the fires around the state. By late morning, however, the diligent calling and bargaining of VWS volunteer, Rebecca Dimitryk-Titus secured us a Coast Guard helicopter that afternoon for the evacuation of the threatened captive condors in the line of flames and smoke.

Three members of the condor crew were loaded up on the chopper and flown out past the smoke and into basecamp to trap up the birds in the flight pen, get them into their kennels and then back up to the helicopter. After some aggressive coercing and a rough ATV ride up to the landing zone, all birds were safely removed from danger into the ready hands of the Pinnacles condor crew waiting at the airport. Upon introduction to their new home, all birds escaped without injury and seem to be taking to their changed environment quite well.

As the month advanced the Big Sur fires didn't cease, in fact its intensity grew stronger, limiting the condor crew's access to the regular tracking spots. Nevertheless, the continuous efforts of the crew allowed for good track keeping of the wild flock. All birds have been accounted for, although we are concerned for 222, the mother of one of the chicks. Currently there is also a concern for condor 377 who has not been signaled since the fire passed through our release site, however we still have high hopes she survived.

We do know that the Redwood nest of condors 199 and 231 did get burned over. Helicopter observations show that intense fires burned the bottom part of this redwood and the surrounding vegetation while the higher part, where the chick resides, was not burned. The majestic size of the redwood tree might have been enough to protect the chick from the heat, smoke, and flames, but we still don't know and that chick's status is unknown. Visuals of the other two chicks indicate that they are managing the smokey conditions and doing OK. On another note, our wild fledgling from last year, Ventana, has been temporarily captured to ensure her survival and replace her radio transmitter. She is now hanging out with the captive chicks (the same condors that were just evacuated) at the Pinnacles release pen. They seem to coexist fine together, this is a great opportunity for the younger generation to interact with each other.

The good news is that the majority of the wild flock are accounted for, with exception to condor #377, a 3 year old female, and they seem to be coping well, finding safe places to roost outside of the prominent smoke and fire. We owe huge thanks to the incredible work of the Coast Guard, Fire Crews and their concern and cooperation for the condors. Our work will adapt with the changing conditions of the fires and hopefully we'll be able to recollect and resume regular duties soon. As of the end of this update (June 30th), the status of of condor sactuary and release site is still unknown, but we do know it has already burned through...let's just hope the condor pens are still standing.

The Calla lilies and Douglas iris have finished blooming, but the wild strawberries are ripe and the forget-me-nots dot the shady creeksides. Yellow bush lupine is blooming splendidly on the roadsides this month.

As we suspected, it takes more than a month for even our voracious flock of condors to consume a whale. Smaller groups of condors, including the parents currently tending chicks in wild nests, visited to tank up on whale meat. Towards the end of the month, the incoming tide starting covering most of the whale with sand, and the meat, never especially tempting looking to us, became more leathery and smelly. Before the feeding ended, a prestigious group of photographers and videographers from National Geographic arrived to capture some footage.

The two nests discussed in last months update were visited again this month. Each chick received a West Nile Virus shot and was examined by veterinary technician. Both chicks were plump and healthy, so clearly the parents are doing a great job. In one case, one of the parents blocked the cave entrance with his body and simply would not let the biologists past him into the nest. We had to reschedule until the next day, since he wasn’t backing down.

We now have solid evidence that there is a third nest in Big Sur. We had been noticing that one particular pair was spending quite a bit of time in a specific area. This area was in a backcountry region, so remote and so rugged that all of our attempts to reach it by foot failed. Finally, Joe Burnett had an opportunity to take a helicopter flight into the mysterious area. We had data from a GPS tag that allowed us to focus on one specific canyon. As the helicopter flew over, Joe noticed that there were no cliffs in that area. He immediately started looking for cavities in the massive redwoods. As the helicopter circled around, he saw a branch near the top of the tallest redwood that was stained white with condor poop, indicating that condors had been frequently using that branch as a perch. On the next circular pass, Joe saw the male from the pair in the suspicious tree, and a huge cavity in the crown of the redwood tree. The cavity was scorched black, indicating that the cavity was created by wildfire. While we want to congratulate Joe on his spectacular find, getting a biologist into the top of this tree to look for a chick is not going to be easy. A professional climber from US Fish and Wildlife is happy to assist us, but this is the adventure that keeps on going!

The condor chicks awaiting a fall release in our consolidated rearing pen had a more exciting month than we planned on. A bobcat has been walking by the pen at least once a week. Condors are sure to encounter bobcats in the wild, and it is important for us to be sure that the chicks will react with caution. A condor that flies up into the trees at the sight of a bobcat shows good instincts and is a great candidate for release. So far, all the condors in the pen have immediately ascended to the trees when the bobcat comes by. This is exactly the kind of observation we need to see at least once before we “graduate” these condors into the wild. All looks good for their release date this November, when they will be released at Pinnacles National Monument near Hollister, CA.

The green hillsides and aromatic wildflowers were at their height this year in April, and as we begin to see them fade, the crew anticipates yet another busy month to come.

April brought us a beached humpback whale, which the condors quickly found and began feasting!! Joe counted a total of 16 condors at one time feeding on this whale, including our precious wild chick, 444! Both pairs that are feeding their newly hatched chicks were also seen feeding at the whale, and the nestlings are getting nutritious whale meat-yum yum!! Based on the condors’ movements this month, we suspect they located this food source around the 15th of the month, and expect them to continue to visit the whale throughout May.

In early April, Mike caught the elusive 168, and we were able to conclude our trapping season. We now have a working transmitter on all 25 wild condors in the Big Sur flock!! In addition to trapping the wild birds, we also entered the consolidated rearing pen at the end of the month to handle 5 of the 7 total captive chicks. These chicks were given “pit tags” and a West Nile virus booster shot. This group will be transferred to Pinnacles National Monument in the fall and released shortly thereafter.

The two known active nests in Big Sur were also entered this month. Both dummy eggs were removed and replaced with pipping eggs from the LA zoo. Both hatched within 48 hours of their placement, and there are now two new wild nestlings in our flock!! Day Old Nestling Video The crew has been watching the parents feed the chicks on a regular basis, and both pairs are taking their duties seriously. It is so cute to see the little chick wing beg, and in return get a yummy pile of regurgitation from mom and dad! We will enter these nests in May for a 30 day check on the chicks, during which we will weigh them, take their blood, and give them a West Nile virus vaccine. We still suspect there is one more nest this season that is in a very remote location. We will attempt to confirm this suspicion, possibly via helicopter, in the next month? We will keep you posted…
-Sayre Flannagan
Condor crew member

Breeding season is in full swing and the crew has had their share of surprises this year. We have located two active nests in Big Sur, and suspect one more to come!! The two discovered nests were both entered this month with the help of the Fish & Wildlife Service, Los Angeles Zoo, and National Parks Service. A team was assembled, knots were tied, and biologists were hanging from ropes in an effort to check the health of the wild eggs.

After close inspection, both wild eggs were removed due to their infertility and they were replaced with the fake “dummy” eggs for the interim. This will give us the opportunity to return live “foster” eggs taken from captive zoo facilities for the wild pairs to hatch as their own. These first time parents will now be able to raise and interact with their own wild young! Stay tuned for more nest updates as the season progresses.

Speaking of wild young, our fearless little chick, “Ventana”, is still going strong in Big Sur. She makes regular visits to the feeding site, and seems to interact well with the other condors. She is very distinguishable from other chicks her age that were raised at the zoo- a lot more “street smarts”. While I observed a feeding the other day, I watched as her father, 167, pulled a piece of meat out from the crowd of hungry birds. Then, he ever-so-gently nudged his youngster toward the food to urge her to feed on her own. A few jealous condors tried to go for her meal, and were promptly driven away by 167, who fiercely protected the food for his chick. Gradually, she began to pick at the food and watched as 167 showed her how to use her feet to hold the carcass down. This was the first time we had observed the chick feeding alone and it was truly an amazing site!

We are also still watching a rambunctious group of juveniles in our new holding pen. The chicks are being mentored by Hoi, and have already begun to learn from him. They are scheduled for release into the wild in Fall 2008.

Notes from the Field, February 2008

February has been an exceptionally eventful month for VWS and the Central Coast flock! The condors have a slew of new arrivals to interact with. Five new juvenile birds were transferred up to the new holding pen at our wilderness sanctuary in the middle of the month. Within thirty minutes of the chicks’ debut, members of the Big Sur flock came circling overhead to check out the newcomers! The juveniles seemed to relax upon seeing some familiar shapes in the sky. The five youngsters were soon joined by two more chicks and a 16 year old adult condor named ‘Hoinewuit’. Hoinewuit will serve as their mentor during their stay in Big Sur and teach them important survival skills during their pre-release preparations. Since their arrival, the crew has been closely monitoring the new birds and they seem to be adjusting well to their new surroundings. *(The new holding pen’s natural setting has been excellent for our purposes. In the large aviary the birds have ample room to stretch out their wings, take short flights, and perch in real trees. There are four large one-way mirrors for the observers to use, and we can come and go without being detected.)

As for our wild flock, our hopes came true this month when we confirmed that condor pair 168 and 208 had laid a new egg! These parents of Centennia, the lost condor fledgling, have demonstrated impressive resilience by recovering from their loss. We used clues from direct observation and from 168’s GPS data to determine that the pair was incubating a new egg in their nest cave. We believe that female 208 laid the egg on Valentine’s Day – how sweet!

NEW EGG FOR CONDORS - MontereyHerald.com

In other news, we are happy to announce that Ventana, our fledgling from the redwood nest, showed up at our wilderness feeding site for the first time this month! We are so proud of our little girl! At this age, her parents will continue to stay close to her and to feed her by mouth. However, she will now gradually start to become more independent and consume her own food. Ventana acts a little clumsier than her graceful flock mates and she is frequently observed nibbling on “toys” like sticks and feathers. Sign up for a Condor Tour in Big Sur and maybe you will spot her! Ventana Wildlife Society -Ecological Experiences with Condor Scientists

Toward the end of February, we also had some new visitors from Pinnacles National Monument. Juveniles 400, 401, 405, and 411 made the 30-mile flight from their release territory, across the Salinas Valley, over the Los Padres Mountains, and then caught their first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean as they cruised over the ridge. Typically the Central Coast condors will spend the majority of their time near their original release site, but many will regularly sojourn over to Pinnacles from Big Sur or vice versa. The Condor Crew is thrilled to have so many new condors around this month!

A couple more notable events from this very busy month…first, the wild flock feasted on a dead sea lion along the Big Sur coastline for almost a week, and second, we observed two additional condor pairs (#199/ #231 and #171/#194) become reproductively active on the breeding front and we’re hopefully optimistic they will attempt to set up a nest site and lay an egg in March…keep your fingers crossed!

The condor team is gearing up for the arrival of seven condors in February! We have been working hard preparing our new flight pen to accommodate the new group of birds. Everything is all set and the holding pen looks fabulous. The new cohort (5 chicks and 2 sub-adults) will be coming to us from the captive breeding facility in Boise, Idaho and they will eventually be released in either central or southern California. The new holding pen is tucked away at our wilderness sanctuary, providing a remote and protected home to these young condors for their 6-9 month stay.

We did have to change their arrival date due to some unexpected recent weather. The rain storm that hit coastal California at the end of January transformed into hurricane force winds and THREE FEET of snow on the high peaks of the Ventana Wilderness! Our hard-working crew charged through the snow in order to do a necessary base camp mission to help out a member of our field team who was marooned by the storm. About half of our trip was accomplished on foot! The crew pretended to not have too much fun in the deep snow.

Love is in the air this month for the Big Sur condors. We are on the lookout for breeding behavior and have been finding it! We were so fortunate to have two pairs hatch chicks last year and we have even higher hopes for this year. Our observations of one pair copulating have us really excited (snicker, snicker). We are using radio tracking and GPS data to help us predict where any pairs may nest this year.

Ventana (condor 444), has been amazing us every day with her progress. She is one fine chick! Her flights are getting longer and stronger. In fact, this month she left her nesting canyon for the first time! Mom and Dad are always close by keeping a safe eye on her. She has been seen flying along with other condors near as well. Meet your new little sister, guys! We look forward to spotting her at a feeding in the near future. VWS dreams of having all of the juveniles born and raised in the wild like this some day!

In-flight species comparison chart

In-flight species comparison chart - Print a copy to take with you when looking for condors

We are continuing to place food and closely monitor the rest of the flock during these harsher winter months. There is lots of work to do this time of year, so we are so grateful to have a warm base camp, a dedicated team, and the support of our members!

Deborah Visco