> Jeff Cilek or Bill Heinrich, The Peregrine Fund 208/362-3716
> Jeff Humphrey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 602/640-2720
> Tom Bauer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 505/248-6911
> Rory Aikens, Arizona Game and Fish Department 602/789-3214
> Mike Small, Bureau of Land Management 801/628-4491
>
>May 14, 1997
>
> FOUR MORE CALIFORNIA CONDORS RELEASED
> -JOIN SPECIES' RECOVERY EFFORT OVER SOUTHWEST CANYONS-
>
> Four of the nine California condors being held atop the 1000-foot
Vermilion
>Cliffs north of the Grand Canyon were released this morning. At 7:00 a.m.,
>Peregrine Fund biologists lifted the door of the condor pen and the birds
>cautiously hopped from their shelter and onto the lip of the cliff. As the
last
>bird emerged, all four unfolded their 9-foot wings to initiate their maiden
>flights. Peregrine Fund biologists, Mark Vekasy and Shawn Farry, reported
that
>the "the four made a number of short flights and are now perched on the talus
>slope near the base of the cliff."
>
> The nine condors have been held in a netted adjustment pen since shortly
>after they were transported from the Los Angeles Zoo to the Bureau of Land
>Management administered cliff site on April 29, 1997. The four most
subordinate
>condors were selected for release today with the hope that they will socialize
>more easily with the existing birds. The remaining captive birds will be
>released after biologists evaluate their behavior, weather conditions and the
>results of today's release.
>
> The two-year old condors are the oldest to be released in the wild.
Since
>older, more mature birds could immediately soar greater distances than their
>younger counterparts did when released last December, biologists chose to
>release them in small batches. "By releasing these birds a few at a time, it
>will give them the opportunity to gradually assimilate with the existing
>population. The younger condors have performed well since their release last
>December; these older birds could learn much from the existing birds as the
two
>groups begin to socialize" said Bill Heinrich, Species Restoration Manager of
>The Peregrine Fund. The Peregrine Fund is a non-profit conservation
>organization conducting the release in northern Arizona.
>
> Since December, the five original condors have greatly extended their
>range. They have soared below the north rim of the Grand Canyon and been
>spotted over Lake Powell and Page, Arizona. Each of the five condors
regularly
>returns to the Vermilion Cliffs and has inspected the new arrivals.
Researchers
>will continue to monitor the condors' movements and study how the groups
>interact and assimilate.
>
> ###
>
>
>(EDITORS: An uncertain release schedule prevents program biologists from
>offering media coverage of this release. File photographs are available from
>the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or by accessing The Peregrine Fund's
website
>at www.peregrinefund.org.)
>
>
>Condors Released May 14, 1997 at Vermilion Cliffs
>
> Tag NumberSexHatch DateHatch Location
> #16Male4/13/95San Diego Wild Animal Park
> #19Female4/17/95San Diego Wild Animal Park
> #27Female2/2/95San Diego Wild Animal Park
> #28Female2/21/95The Los Angeles Zoo*
>
>*All birds were held at the Los Angeles Zoo facility prior to being
transported
>to the Vermilion Cliffs
>
>
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>.-
>
>
Ben & Peggi Rodgers
Aptos, CA (near Santa Cruz 122 W, 37 N)
USA
woodduck at cruzio.com


"A bird does not sing because it has an answer,
It sings because it has a song"