The largest North American land bird is the California Condor. The condor is a large black vulture with a bald head. It is significant to many Native American tribes and is prominent in many myths. Today you can see these majestic creatures soaring over the Grand Canyon, Baja, California and other places. But this majestic species was on the brink of extinction in the 1980s and was saved; barely.
In the late 20th century the condor's population was collapsing due to poaching, habitat destruction, lead poisoning, and DEET exposure. The condor, which is one of the longest living birds with lifespans of up to 50 years, does not reproduce rapidly. With the impact, the total number of condors left dwindled to 22 in 1987. The last birds were captured and bred at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and the Los Angeles Zoo. The program was a success and in 1991 they started releasing birds back into the wild. Today there are 384 condors with 187 in the wild.
This is a rare example of a preservation program that was put into place before it was too late. Historically preservation attempts occur when the population has shrunk to such a small size that recovery is not possible. Remember, for each California Condor we have at least a dozen Passenger Pigeons or Labrador Ducks that don't make it.
-Professor Walter
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