August 21 and 22, 2007
The last two condors of this cohort are released. Condors #405 and 411 get to test their wings for the first time outside a pen. The flight pen lies empty again.

August 19, 2007
Both condors #306 and 332 are finally out of captivity.

July 16, 2007
After three months of treatment for a severely injured wing, condor #332 is returned to the Pinnacles flight pen to be released in a month. Additionally, #306 and #318 return after two weeks of treatment for lead poisoning.

June 26 to July 2, 2007
Eight condors are trapped and tested for lead toxicity levels. Condor #306 and a Big Sur condor #318 have exceptionally high lead levels and are transported to the LA Zoo for chelation treatment.

June 25, 2007
Recently released condor #401 crosses to the Big Sur coast! The longest flight to date for this condor. On this same day, a pig carcass is retrieved on which several condors were observed feeding. The pig is discovered to have been shot with lead ammunition.

May 17, 2007
Condor #307 is found dead in the hills along the Big Sur coast. The cause of death for this condor remains unknown. These two deaths bring the Pinnacles flock down to 16 condors.

May 12, 2007
Condor #417 is found dead outside of the Monument after only nine days of flying free. The final necropsy report suggests that this condor died of a canine bite, but also had other health issues that may have been contributing factors.

May 3, 2007
Condor #417 is released and makes it to the feeding site on the first day.

April 24, 2007
The first two condors, #400 and #401 of this cohort are released!

April 21, 2007
Public Release held today. Unfortunately, no condors cooperated and were released. However, several free-flying condors were flying in the area, so all in all a successful day.

April 17, 2007
Following being captured, #332 is transported to the LA Zoo for intensive treatment.

April 6, 2007
Condor #332 is observed with a large gash on the leading edge of his left wing.

March 26, 2007
Condor #265 had been observed approaching visitors and climbers on several occasions, so today is captured and will be sent for re-release at the Grand Canyon.

February 28, 2007
Pizmo, the new mentor condor, arrives from the Oregon Zoo and is placed in the captive pen with the new cohort.

February 26, 2007
Pinnacles condor #330 joins five other condors when they fly to Big Sur. Every Pinnacles condor except #265 has now made the flight across the SalinasValley to the coast.

January 16, 2007
Three condors are brought into the captive pen from Southern California. #265 returns to us after 18 months at the LA Zoo. #155 is being held at Pinnacles until the spring and then she will be transferred back to the zoo. #417 completes this season’s cohort of juvenile birds to be released.

January 13, 2007
Condor #402 catches its wing tag on the mesh of the captive pen and tears a large gash along the leading edge of its wing. This condor was given emergency care at a local exotic animal veterinary clinic the next day and was then transferred to the LA Zoo.

January 10, 2007
Condors 400, 401, 402, 405, and 411 arrive from the Boise World Center of Birds of Prey and are placed in the captive pen. Most of these condors will be this season’s cohort. They join #307 and #313 in the pen.

December 8, 2006
Health check of all Pinnacles condors and again condor #307 has an alarmingly high blood lead level. All others have lead concentrations within acceptable levels. #307 is kept in captivity to undergo lead treatment and for behavioral monitoring.

September 1, 2006
Condor #307 is tracked via GPS data to Livermore, CA outside San Jose. This is the farthest north a Pinnacles condor has been recorded since the beginning of the reintroduction project.

July 1, 2006
All of the Pinnacles condors, except #307, have been trapped and tested for lead after feeding on contaminated squirrels outside of the Pinnacles boundary. Four of them have moderate levels, but not high enough to require treatment. #307 however has a high concentration and undergoes treatment for several days.

June 12, 2006
Eleven condors are seen feeding on squirrels shot with lead ammunition. Steps are taken to catch all of the Pinnacles condors and test them for lead poisoning.

June 7, 2006
Condors 310 and 312 are the first Pinnacles birds to find their way to the Big Sur release site 35 miles away!

September 17, 2005
Third Release Event - Three condors are released from the Pinnacles flight pen. Over the next week, the other four juvenile condors are also released.

September 8, 2005
Condor #265 was re-captured following several incidents where he had either approached people or allowed people to approach him too closely. Since the free-flying condors from the 2nd cohort seemed to be following him on these occasions, it was decided to prevent them from learning bad habits and bring 265 back in for further behavioral training.

Mid-August, 2005
Condors 278 and 286 have assimilated into the Big Sur flock and are seen feeding on sea lion carcasses along with 14 other condors along the Big Sur coastline.

Condors 266, 270, and 287 have all been released at the northern Arizona site and have assimilated into the group of 50 free-flying condors there. Condor #266 was documented feeding on a mountain lion carcass with 2 other condors.

July 2, 2005
The last remaining member of the first cohort, #265, is re-released into the wild after being held in captivity for 15 months for behavioral adjustment.

May 9, 2005
Condors 332 and 351 are transferred from the LA Zoo to the Pinnacles flight pen. These birds rounds out the third cohort that will be released in September 2005.

March 4, 2005
Condors 278 and 286 are transferred to Big Sur for later release there.

March 2, 2005
Condor #340 is transferred from the Oregon Zoo to the Pinnacles flight pen. This is the first bird to be raised in captivity at the Oregon Zoo. He will be a member of the 3rd cohort.

February 15, 2005
Birds from the 1st cohort (266, 270, and 287) transferred from Pinnacles to northern Arizona to be eventually released into their new home there.

February 15, 2005
Four 9-month old condors, numbers 330, 335, 336, and 345, are transferred from Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge after being raised at San Diego Wild Animal Park to Pinnacles flight pen.

November 28, 2004
Last of the second cohort released from the flight pen.

November 25, 2004
The last of the 1st cohort are in the flight pen.

October 28, 2004
Second Release Event – Condor #307 released during the public viewing event, making her the first of the 2nd cohorts of birds to be released from Pinnacles National Monument.

October 1, 2004
Condor#270 is trapped after he was observed perching on the same exact pole that #266 had been documented using. A decision is made to bring the remaining condors from the 1st cohort back into captivity, due to concerns about them perching on power poles and/or telephones poles.

September 28, 2004
Condor #266 is trapped after he was observed flying with #270 visiting the same areas he had observed perching in a week previously.

September 22, 2004
Condor #266 observed perching on power poles in Hollister and Tres Pinos areas.

September 10, 2004
Condor #287 and #270 fly to northern Santa Clara County, making them the first known California Condors to fly over that county in 32 years.

August 24, 2004
Condor #199, a 5-1/2 year old adult condor from the Ventana Big Sur site, flies into Pinnacles and spends the next 10 days interacting with and feeding alongside the Pinnacles condors.

July 2, 2004
Four condors are brought in from the wild to be tested for blood lead levels following incidents where they fed on carcasses suspected of being shot with lead bullets. Subsequent tests showed that 2 birds had moderate concentrations of lead indicating they had been exposed. All 4 birds were held for observation and subsequently released.

May 12, 2004
Condors #307, 310, 312, 313, four 12 month old juveniles raised in the Los Angeles Zoo, are transferred to the Pinnacles flight pen.

March 5, 2004
Condor #306 and #317, two 9 month old juveniles raised in the San Diego Wild Animal Park, are transferred to the Pinnacles flight pen. The first arrivals of the second cohort.

January 26, 2004
Condor #287 is the first of the birds to fly over to the HighPeaks.

January 24, 2004
All six condors are flying free!

January 7, 2004
Condors 265, 266, 270, and 286 leave the flight pen and join the other two.

December 26, 2003
Condor #287 flies over Topo Ranch, nearly 5 miles away!

December 20, 2003
Condors #287 and #278 leave the flight pen, making them the first free-flying birds back at Pinnacles National Monument.

December 19, 2003
Initial Release Event – No birds leave the flight pen.

September 30, 2003
Flight pen and observation blind complete. Ready for action!