ST. GEORGE — Following the devastating bird flu outbreak in the Utah-Arizona California condor flock, the annual condor release has been canceled due to concerns for the birds’ health.
Still, wildlife enthusiasts are encouraged to head to the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona, this September for a site improvement project to prepare for next year’s release.
The Bureau of Land Management is sponsoring the service project at 10 a.m. MDT, Saturday, Sept. 23 — National Public Lands Day.
The project’s goal is to improve the California condor viewing site, according to a news release issued by the Southwest Working Group condor partners, which includes The Peregrine Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, BLM and Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.
“The BLM is excited to work side by side with enthusiasts who have supported this event and championed the recovery of the condor with us for the past 27 years,” said Vermilion Cliffs National Monument Manager Bob Bate. “This site project work will give the SW flocks the opportunity to continue to distance as vaccine trials continue.”
Those who volunteer for the project will receive a free public lands access pass after completion. Attendees should pack sunscreen, a long-sleeved shirt, a hat, electrolytes, snacks, lunch and at least 1 gallon of water. According to the release, the closest place to purchase these supplies is approximately 40 minutes from the site.
To get to the event, individuals can travel on state Route 89A from Kanab, Utah, or Page, Arizona, to the monument; or U.S. Route 89 from Flagstaff, Arizona, to SR 89A. From there, drivers should turn north onto the unpaved BLM road 1065, located east of the Kaibab Plateau.
From there, they will travel nearly 3 miles to the event. An informational kiosk, shade structure and restrooms will be available at the site, the release states.
“The site improvement project provides the public with the opportunity to gather with friends, fellow condor enthusiasts, and agency specialists to continue to celebrate the ever-resilient condor,” the release states.
A large, rare bird recovers
As the number of infections has dropped, the Southwest Condor Working Group continues its support of Fish and Wildlife’s Incident Command Team using various strategies, including field monitoring and vaccine trials, which have reportedly been successful thus far.
The vaccine received emergency approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in mid-May following the deaths of approximately 21 condors, St. George News reported. The effort is a first in the U.S., where the USDA had never previously vaccinated any bird species, captive or wild.
Before administering the vaccine to condors, 20 black vultures at the Carolina Raptor Center in North Carolina, were inoculated beginning in June. According to Fish and Wildlife’s Aug. 11 update, the USDA’s Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory is evaluating the concentration of antibodies present in the birds since receiving the shot. This work is in its final stages.
The center’s director Kristen Dean reported in June the vultures were doing well and did not appear to experience adverse reactions to the vaccine.
“They’re strong, healthy and behaving like vultures — which means eating a lot of food,” she said.
Since then, Incident Command began vaccinating condors in managed care, according to Fish and Wildlife. No negative reactions have been reported. They will collect blood samples from inoculated birds 21 and 42 days after they receive the shot to evaluate their immune response.
Two groups of 10 condors each will participate in the trial, with five additional birds serving as a control group, according to Fish and Wildlife. The first group received an initial injection of 0.5 milliliters, with a booster planned after 21 days — the first three birds had already received both doses. Six condors from the second group were given a single dose of 1 milliliter, with four awaiting vaccination. Fish and Wildlife reports that condor vaccine trials will continue into September.
Three condors receiving care in Arizona have recovered and were released back into the wild on Aug. 5. The USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory analyzed blood samples, which showed that they developed some natural immunity to bird flu, the service states.
The bird flu outbreak is only the latest obstacle the rare bird has had to overcome. According to the release, the species narrowly avoided extinction several decades ago, with 22 surviving wild condors in 1982. Fish and Wildlife and its partners began capturing the birds and initiated the captive breeding program.
The Utah-Arizona condor flock numbered almost 100 as of July, with over 550 birds spanning the species’ range, which includes California and Baja, Mexico.
One of the greatest threats to California condors is lead poisoning, often caused when the birds feed on hunted animal remains, inadvertently ingesting lead bullet fragments, St. George News reported. To reduce their impact, hunters can collect gut piles and choose another ammunition type, such as copper bullets.
Event details
- What: National Public Lands Day Service Project to improve the California condor viewing site
- When: Saturday, Sept. 23, at 10 a.m. MDT
- Where: Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, nearly 3 miles down the unpaved BLM road 1065
The clips featured in the video above are courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service.
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