Organizations like the Ventana Wilderness Society also are at the forefront of developing new techniques for improving the birds' chances of survival in the wild. Norton helped release the birds from pens located in the upper reaches of Anderson Canyon in the Big Sur area of the central California coast, about 25 miles south of Carmel. Biologists moved the captive-reared birds to the pen a few months ago so they could grow acclimated to the environment. California condors are the largest birds in North America. They weigh up to 25 pounds and have 9 foot wingspans.
Condors have bare heads and necks, dull gray-black feathers, and blunt claws.
They have a triangle-shaped patch of white, visible only when airborne, that adorns the underside of their wings. The birds can soar on warm thermal updrafts for hours, reaching speeds of more than 55 miles per hour and altitudes of 15,000 feet. Normally, California condors do not become sexually mature until the age of six and may not start breeding until age seven or eight. They nest in caves or clefts on cliffs that usually have trees for roosting and a clear approach for easy take-offs and landings. Typically, an adult pair lays one egg every other year, with the fledgling being dependent on its parents through the next breeding season.