PHOENIX — Endangered California condors will be released to the wild in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24. The public is welcome to observe the release from a viewing area where spotting scopes will be set up, and experts will be available to answer questions.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the reintroduction of condors to Arizona. In December 1996, six captive-bred condors were released. It was the first time condors had been seen in the state since the early 1900s. Now more than 73 condors fly free in the Grand Canyon region and southern Utah.
“Arizona is recognized as a national leader in wildlife conservation, as the California condor reintroduction project demonstrates,” said Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. “This is another great example of the Arizona Game and Fish Department forging successful ‘boots-on-the-ground’ conservation partnerships for the benefit of all Arizona wildlife.”
The release also coincides with National Public Lands Day, the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance America’s public lands.
The world’s total population of California condors is 430, with more than half gracing the skies of Arizona, Utah, California and Mexico. Condors were reduced to just 22 individuals in the 1980s when a program was started to save the species from extinction.
“The department began discussing the possibility of reintroducing endangered California condors in 1985. It’s amazing to now see more than 70 birds flying free in northern Arizona-southern Utah, and the success of our adaptive management efforts along the way,” said Larry Voyles, director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
Condors are hatched and reared in captivity at The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Idaho, Oregon Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park and transported to Arizona for release to the wild.
Recovery and reintroduction cooperators include The Peregrine Fund, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kaibab and Dixie national forests.
To view the condor release, drive north on Highway 89 out of Flagstaff. Turn left (west) onto Highway 89A toward Jacob Lake and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Drive about 40 miles past Marble Canyon until you turn right onto House Rock Valley Road (BLM Road 1065). Travel about three miles to a shaded viewing area on the right. On top of the cliffs to your east will be the location where the condors are released.
Condors have been federally listed as endangered since 1967. The condor is the largest flying land bird in North America. The birds can weigh up to 26 pounds and have a wingspan of up to 9 1/2 feet.