To celebrate National Public Lands Day this Saturday, four California condors will be released into the wild as part of the Arizona-Utah California condor conservation effort.
The Peregrine Fund, Bureau of Land Management and Vermilion Cliffs National Monument are teaming up to host an in-person and live-streamed event.
This tradition started with the first condor release in 1996. There has been a release each year except 2023 due to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), which killed a total of 21 condors in the Utah-Arizona flock, according to the National Park Service.
In 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the condor team took the celebration online, reaching more than 10,000 event viewers. This year, they’re hoping for even more visitors and online viewers.
The miracle of condor perseverance
One of the condors set for release is aptly named Milagra, Spanish for “miracle.” This nestling made national news after her mother died from HPAI. Milagra was hatched at Liberty Wildlife before being transported to The Peregrine Fund’s propagation facility to be raised by foster parents.
“With only 85 condors remaining in the Utah-Arizona flock and lead poisoning still a prominent issue, the release of these four condors will have a significant impact on the recovery program,” said Tim Hauck, The Peregrine Fund’s California condor program director. “But the California condor release this year is not just a celebration of these four condors, it is a moment of triumph for the biologists, volunteers, wildlife rehabilitators, recovery partners, and supporters who persevered through the last year.”
Join the event, live or online
To see Milagra and the other three condors be released into the wild, join The Peregrine Fund’s YouTube Channel on Sept. 28. The live stream begins at 11:30 a.m. MST, 12:30 p.m. MDT.
The condor team doesn’t anticipate the four condors will leave their release pen immediately. Because of this, the livestream will include a picture-in-picture set up. One camera will be trained on the condors and while we wait for the bird to take off there will be videos and interviews with the condor biologists and conservationists who work with the condors. Viewers can also send in questions virtually to be answered live by the condor team.
If you decide to attend the event in person, you’ll have the chance to talk with condor biologists and ecosystem managers, learn about the birds and their habitat and enjoy a festival-like atmosphere while waiting for the condors to take their first flight from the Vermilion Cliffs. Details about the in-person event, which have been provided by NPS and the Peregrine Fund, are below.
Information about attending the event in person:
● Driving directions: Take Highway 89A from Kanab, UT, or Page, AZ to the Vermilion Cliffs (from Flagstaff take Highway 89 to Highway 89A). Turn north onto BLM Road 1065 (a dirt road next to the small house just east of the Kaibab Plateau) and continue for almost 3 miles. If traveling from Utah, please note the differences between time zones as the event begins at 1 p.m. MDT (noon MST, northern Arizona Condor Time)
● Bring: Spotting scope or binoculars, sunscreen, hat, ample water, snacks, a chair, and layered clothing as the closest facilities to obtain supplies are 40 minutes from the remote release site.
● Details: Informational kiosk, shade structure, and restroom at the site. Map: https://on.doi.gov/3dW2f4mFor more information about The Peregrine Fund California Condor recovery project: https://peregrinefund.org/projects/california-condor
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