Saturday, November 1st, 2008

Please click here for more information about the 2008 Condor Release.

Daniel cressman/The Pinnacle

A park biologist checks his tracking equipment during the 2007 condor release

2007 CONDOR RELEASE RECAP

Over 400 people made the journey to Pinnacles National Monument to attend this year's condor release event. A special viewing area within sight of the condor flight pen was opened up so that people could watch the condors join the free-flying flock of Pinnacles condors. Unfortunately, the juveniles that were candidates for release didn't cooperate, and no birds ended up leaving the flight pen.

Several of the free-flying Pinnacles condors were flying near the viewing area, though, which gave everyone a chance to see these endangered birds.

During a release, juvenile condors leave the flight pen by entering a double door trap. Once they decide to enter the trap, the inside door is closed and the door to the outside is opened. This minimizes human interaction with the birds, but makes the release events unpredictable.

Photo by Daniel Cressman/The Pinnacle

The juveniles were active in the flight pen, but never entered the double door trap, which is the boxy structure behind the flight pen netting.

Biologists had placed carcasses in the double door trap early on the morning of the release to entice the birds to enter it. Although many of the birds entered the trap in the early morning, none ventured back in later on when the release event was underway.

Over the next week or two, biologists will release the five juvenile condors that are living in the flight pen. The viewing area is now closed to the public.

We'd like to thank everyone who joined us for the release event. We appreciate your continuing support of the Pinnacles condors and the Condor Recovery Program.