VERMILION CLIFFS NATIONAL MONUMENT, Arizona – In celebration of National Public Lands Day on September 28, four rare captive-bred California condors will be released into the wild at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in Arizona. The 28th annual event will be held in person in partnership between the Peregrine Fund and the Bureau of Land Management Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, but those who can’t attend will be able to watch a livestream on the Peregrine Fund YouTube channel.
In the 1980s, the California condor population had dropped to just 22 individuals, sparking the California Condor Recovery Program. The birds were first released at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument on December 12, 1996. They’ve since been released there every year from then on, until 2023 when the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) killed 21 condors in the Utah-Arizona flock. One California condor nestling, “Milagra,” who managed to survive despite her mother dying before she hatched, will be released at the 2024 event.
“This year’s condor release will be especially impactful given the losses we experienced in 2023 from HPAI and lead poisoning. 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. 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.” – Tim Hauck, The Peregrine Fund’s California condor program director.
The livestream event will begin at 11:30am MST on September 28. Because the exact time that the birds will leave their pens is unpredictable, the livestream will feature a picture-in-picture view on the pens alongside interviews and videos with biologists and conservationists. The event was first live-streamed in 2020, when it attracted more than 10,000 event viewers.
“The BLM is happy to work alongside The Peregrine Fund and other state and federal agencies in supporting the recovery of this great species. We are excited to host this event once again on-site and virtually so that the scope and reach of this incredible and successful collaborative recovery effort can continue to inspire people worldwide. The BLM is proud to host this event and manage the habitat and landscapes that allow these magnificent condors to thrive.” – BLM Vermilion Cliffs National Monument manager Robert Bate