Specialty Birds

 


California Condor
Photo credit: Noel Snyder/USFWS

California Condor
Gymnogyps californianus  

In 1987 the last wild condor was captured and placed in the captive breeding program that included 26 other birds.  The program's success has allowed an increasing number of condors to be reintroduced into the wild since 1992.  As of 1 November 2002 there were 74 of these birds in the wild.  114 more remained in the breeding program and 12 were in pre-release field pens.


Condor at feeding site before
 release in spring of 2000 in the Ventana Wilderness Area, CA. 
Photo credit: Scott Frier/USFWS

Sites to view these birds are:

Monterey County: 
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park at the Big Sur Lodge 
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park 
Andrew Molera State Park 
Bottchers Gap in Big Sur 
Jacks Peak 
Chews Ridge

San Luis Obispo County: 
Machesna Wilderness

Santa Barbara County: 
Lion Canyon [inaccessible by road]

 


Condor chick "Hoy"  being fed 
by condor feeding puppet at the 
San Diego Zoo. 
Photo credit: Ron Garrison/USFWS


For information on this bird, visit:


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Specialty Birds of the California Central Coast

Central Coast Birding Trail | Monterey | San Luis Obispo | Santa Barbara | Ventura