**California Condor Update - 14 June 2005**

**Condor nesting**

Condors 187&136 abandoned their nest on the Kaibab National Forest after
approximately 78 days (the incubation period for a condor egg is about
57 days). Peregrine Fund biologists entered the nest cave on June 10th
and discovered an intact egg. The egg was sent to San Diego for
pathology testing. Since this was the first nesting attempt for this
pair, their nest failure was not surprising.

Condors 114 &126 are still tending to their nest at the Vermilion
Cliffs. This pair was switching incubation duties every two days, on
average. At day 58, the pair began switching every day, and sometimes
twice per day. They are still continuing this behavior at day 70.
Although this behavior implies the pair is brooding a chick, we may not
be able to confirm this for a couple more weeks.

Condors 123 &127 are also still tending to their nest at the Grand
Canyon. They were averaging four days between incubation switches. At
approximately day 63 the pair began switching every day, and have more
recently switched every two days. We are hopeful that this pair is also
brooding a chick, however more observations are needed to confirm this.

**Condor trapping**

Forty-two condors were trapped for transmitter replacement and lead
testing between May 17th and 20th. We now have satellite transmitters on
14 condors! The results from three condors' blood tests indicated lead
exposure. One condor was held for observation, but no birds required
treatment. In early June, Condor 203 was observed feeding on a shot
coyote carcass on the Kaibab National Forest. The bird was captured,
along with a couple other condors that may have fed on the carcass.
Condor 203's blood indicated some lead exposure, but not high enough
levels to indicate lead fragments within its system. All the birds were
released without requiring treatment.

**Injured Condor**

Condor 314 was found hiding in a crack within the talus slope near the
release sight. The bird was dehydrated and had puncture wounds on its
body. It appeared that this bird was the victim of a golden eagle or
coyote attack. The bird was transported to the Phoenix Zoo, received a
round of antibiotics, and began to recover from its wounds. Condor 314
is now back up at the release site and will be re-released after a
couple days of feeding and monitoring.

**Condor Movements**

Condors can still be viewed at the Vermilion Cliffs release site, the
South Rim of the Grand Canyon, and Navajo Bridge on HWY 89A. More
recently, the birds have been visiting the western Kaibab Plateau. There
has also been a recent condor movement towards Zion National Park.

**Condor Behavior**

Two young inexperienced condors were captured and are being temporarily
held for minor behavior problems. They were both found perching near or
on human-built structures. Biologists took a proactive approach and
captured the birds before this behavior became a habit. They will be
re-leased after a brief "time-out" period. Occasionally a young released
bird may get too close to human activity when the birds first start to
explore their new environment. Re-capturing the birds and holding them
for a short time seems to help break any inappropriate behavior
patterns. These behaviors also seem to disappear naturally with age and
experience.

**Condor Release**

One of the condors transferred from California was re-released this
month. A mock power pole with a slight electric charge was erected
outside the release pen to discourage this bird from roosting on power
poles.

**Condor Numbers**

Total population - 274

Captive -- 156

Wild - 118

Arizona -- 53

California -- 56

Baja -- 9