The California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)
is the largest land bird in North America. Their wingspan can reach 10 feet. In 1987 all 22 remaining California Condors were taken into captivity as part of a captive breeding program at the San Diego and Los Angeles Zoos. Through this program, their numbers grew and starting in 1991 birds were released into the wild.
In resent years the wild population has been threatened by the use of lead based bullets used by hunters. As scavengers, the birds would feast upon carcasses killed by hunters, sometime ingesting the lead bullets. Thankfully, on October 11, 2013 California Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 711 into law, making California the first state to completely ban the use of lead in hunting ammunition. The California Fish and Game Commission has until July of 2019 to fully implement the law.
For more on the California Condor go to:
http://www.defenders.org/california-condor/basic-facts
To read about threats to the California Condor go to:
http://www.defenders.org/california-condor/threats
For the San Diego Zoo live cam go to:
http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/cams/condor-cam
For news on the lead bullet ban go to: