Juvenile condors are ready to be released in California. Here’s how to watch

The new cohort (each about a year and a half old) arrived in the giant holding pen on Sept. 17; they are getting acclimated to their surroundings as they prepare to join the flock of 99 condors currently flying free in the Central Coast skies over Big Sur, San Simeon and Pinnacles National Park.

Another six captive-bred, critically endangered condors will be released this fall in Pinnacles National Park; along with the Ventana Wildlife Society, Pinnacles is a key component of the California Condor Recovery Program.

Of the six to be released in San Simeon, four are male and two are female; they were captive-raised at the Los Angeles Zoo.

The wildlife society has released 56 juveniles from the San Simeon site since 2015, and 41 of those birds are still alive and flying free.

“The leading cause of death” for the 15 who perished, according to VWS senior wildlife biologist Joe Burnett, is “lead poisoning from ingestion of spent lead ammunition.” Condors are scavengers and eat carrion (the remains of dead animals).

Meanwhile an enthusiastic Burnett said that 2024 “Is on track to be an unprecedented year for the Central California flock.”

With the 12 condors to be released in San Simeon and Pinnacles — and the nine wild chicks (three of which have already fledged) — the flock is projected to reach its highest number, 117.

“If all goes well,” Burnett said, “this is obviously a huge milestone when you consider what happened in 2020, when we lost all those condors in the Dolan Fire.”

Twelve condors were killed in the arson-related Dolan Fire, which roared through the Big Sur condor sanctuary at night.

Essentially, the dozen Big Sur condors were trapped in their nests that night; condors cannot see in the dark and they can’t fly at night because they rely on thermals.

The man convicted of starting the Dolan Fire, Ivan Gomez, is currently serving 24 years in state prison.

“We were knocked down,” Burnett continued, “but we got back up and just kept pushing ahead. … We are all pretty excited, cautiously optimistic, but trying not to celebrate too prematurely.”

Though they are juveniles, the condors boast 9-1/2-foot wingspans; when they reach adulthood — around the age of 5, which is also their breeding age — their black heads transition into the characteristic condor orange-red.

The fact that there are now an estimated 344 condors flying free globally — while just 22 birds remained in the wild in 1982 — reflects a remarkable captive breeding comeback.

51 condors vaccinated against deadly bird flu

In addition to the threat posed to condors from lead poisoning, with the global outbreak of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in 2021 — which has killed millions of wild and domestic birds — fear swept through VWS’ leadership.

In particular, the society’s anxiety was amplified with the news that 21 California condors had perished from the avian influenza in Arizona.

Condor recovery partners “sprang into action and secured emergency authorization from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service” to develop an original vaccine, and to conduct vaccine trials using black vultures “as surrogate species,” according to VWS.

Successful trials using black vultures led to trials of California condors themselves — and to assurance the originally developed vaccine was effective.

As of Oct. 16, VWS has vaccinated 51 of the 99 condors in the Central Coast flock.

How to watch the condor release online

On Nov. 6 the “2024 Rookie Virtual Release Event” will be livestreamed by VWS beginning at 9 a.m.; the doors of the holding pen will open around 10 a.m.

The event will be narrated by Burnett, who explains that “sometimes, not all the birds decide to go out, and that’s OK.

“We want the condors to come out when they are good and ready,” he added, noting that the livestream will include an explanation of “the personalities of the six release birds.”

To register for the streaming release of the six juveniles 6, visit www.ventanaws.org/condor-releases.html. To access the live condor cams at any time use www.explore.org.