What you can do
Volunteer: If you live in the Ventura or Santa Barbara areas of California you can be a part of the California condor recovery program. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Santa Barbara Zoo invite you to join the condor nest guarding program. Volunteers monitor nest activity and chick development over the entire nesting season.
More on being a nest monitor >>
Spread the word: The number one challenge to the recovery of the California condor is lead ammunition. Condors and other birds scavenge on animal remains left in the field by hunters. If the animal was shot with a lead bullet, fragments of lead will occur in the carcass.
Alternative ammunition is now widely available in most calibers and aware hunters have embraced the opportunity to be a part of the solution that the non-lead bullet provides. Speaking up and driving awareness of this issue in your community can go a long way towards saving the lives of countless scavengers including our national symbol, the bald eagle. Below are some resources to help spread the word.
Hunting With Non-Lead
A valuable website with a rich tapestry of information on hunting with non-lead ammunition: www.huntingwithnonlead.org
Alternatives to lead Ammunition Information Poster - PDF
Hazards of Lead Ammunition Information Poster - PDF
The Non-Lead Hunter - A 24 Min. Hunter Outreach Film
Limited quantities of The Non-Lead Hunter is available on DVD. The DVD contains both English and dubbed Spanish version of the film. Please send us a note with your mailing address if you would like to recieve a copy.
Research Articles
Collection of literature related to lead exposure in wildlife - Online Link
Impact of the California Lead Ammunition Ban on Reducing Lead Exposure in Golden Eagles and Turkey Vultures - Online link
Condor Recovery Programs
The very first endangered species recovery effort commenced after the passage of the ESA of 1973, the California Condor Recovery Program has enjoyed a broad range of contributors. These are links to the conservation programs working on behalf of the condor today.¬Ý Many of these offer volunteer opportunities and ways that you can contribute in a meaningful way.¬Ý
California Condor Conservation
San Diego Wild Animal Park
- San Diego Zoo Conservation Research
- Baja Condor Egg video
- Condor Chicks video
- Wild Animal Park Exhibit: Condor Ridge
Los Angeles Zoo
Oregon Zoo Conservation: Condor Recovery Program
The Peregrine Fund: California Condor Restoration
Ventana Wildlife Society:
The Arizona Game and Fish Department: California Condor Recovery
Hi Mountain Condor Lookout Project
Chapultepec Zoo Condor Conservation
Condor Reintroduction Sites
Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge, Ventura County
(Closed to the public but offers tours on an occassional basis)
Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Kern County
(Closed to the public but offers tours on an occassional basis)
Vermillion Cliffs, Grand Canyon, Arizona
Sierra San Pedro de Martir National Park, Baja California
Ventana Wilderness Society, Big Sur, California
A great place to see condors predictably along the dramatic Big Sur coast. VWS offers education programs and innovative ways to see and learn about condor recovery.
Habitat Restoration
California Condor Timeline
(Click to enlarge)
Condor Information & Research
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Species Profile for California condor
National Audubon Society: California Condor
Audubon: California’s Important Bird Areas Program
BirdLIfe species fact sheet California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)
UC Santa Cruz - Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group
Ventana Wilderness Society - Big Sur Condor Field Notes
Defenders of Wildlife California Condor