SOARING THE SOUTHWEST AGAIN N umber 187 leaps from the Grand Canyon’s towering cliffs and into the sky Once in flight the male California condor soars thousands of feet above the canyon’s floor His 9-foot 3-m wingspan cuts a silhouette against the blue sky He might soar hundreds of miles looking for carrion to eat Riding the rising air currents 187 rarely has to flap his wings to stay aloft In 2014 there were 73 wild condors in northern Arizona and southern Utah Several of these lived in the Grand Canyon 5 CHAPTER ONE
In April 2016 187 nested on the Battleship rock formation with his mate 280 They had used the nesting site before Scientists monitor the pair’s behavior The birds are two of just 78 California condors in Arizona There are only 230 wild condors today The hopes of conservationists rest on the breeding success of these wild birds One day people hope to see thousands of condors soaring the skies of the US Southwest Soaring Toward Extinction In 1982 that day seemed unreachable Only 22 wild California condors existed in the world The birds were at risk of extinction 6 Condors in Native American Traditions California condors have an honored place in many Californian Native American traditions Ancient peoples made condor bone whistles These artifacts are up to 10,000 years old Later California tribes used condor skin and feathers in their mourning ceremonies The Chumash fletched arrows with feathers They threaded feathers into jewelry and clothing
California Condor Range Today Study this map of the condor’s range today What do you notice about the areas it lives in What does it tell you about the condor’s status today compared to its status in the past Condors are scavengers They eat the remains of dead animals Hunters and ranchers shot some of these animals The lead from bullets poisoned condors Many died 7
