A CONDOR ADVENTURE
Kathleen Snyder
The third time was the charm. I had been to Big Sur and Pinnacles National Park but was not lucky enough to find California Condors. This bird has been at the top of my “most wanted” list for years. I had hopes that the condors released in Northern California might be my chance to see one, so Rachel Hudson and I took off on an eight-hour drive to the Redwood National and State Parks in California.
As you may know, the Yurok Tribe of Northern California has committed to the re-introduction of the condors to their ancestral land. The historic range of this species was once from northern Mexico to southern British Columbia. The Yurok tribe is one of many indigenous cultures that consider the condor sacred. Management and conservation of this species in Yurok territory is considered by the tribe as part of their obligation to restore balance to the world.
Starting in the spring of 2022, four juvenile condors were released into an area of the Redwood Parks. This involves a large pre-release enclosure and the use of an older mentor condor that shows the youngsters how to consume carrion and how to interact within a condor group (the collective noun for condors is “condo”). The program has been successful and now there are 15 condors there, two of which were being released when Rachel and I were there. The release site is a secret but there is a live condor cam which is available to anyone who is interested. https://www.yuroktribe.org/yurok-condor-live-feed
The condor we saw flew right over us and, as promised, it was huge! We could see the identification tags and Rachel’s photos showed its satellite locator. “Our” bird was Poy`-we-son which translates as The One Who Goes Ahead. He was the first of the original four juveniles to leave the enclosure and fly free. It was such a thrill and we only had to wait 2 ½ hours for it. While we waited, we watched the condor cam to see when they would start flying. Throughout the trip, we picked up tidbits about this amazing species such as it takes 7 to 8 years before the birds will start nesting and that they only lay one egg every other year. On the positive side, their lifespan is thought to be over 60 years.
If you would like more information on condors, please see these websites:
For the Yurok restoration story – https://www.yuroktribe.org/yurok-condor-restoration-program
For details on the Yurok condors – https://baynature.org/2022/06/09/the-reintroduction-odyssey-of-the-yurok-condors/
Photo by Rachel Hudson.
