Majestic birds ready for the wild
Earth Day is nearly here again and we encourage locals to get
out of the house, get out of doors and to enjoy the abundance of
wild life surrounding us. And there is no better way to celebrate
the survival of a species than at Pinnacles National Monument where
as many as three 1-year-old condors are ready for release this
weekend.
Majestic birds ready for the wild
Earth Day is nearly here again and we encourage locals to get out of the house, get out of doors and to enjoy the abundance of wild life surrounding us. And there is no better way to celebrate the survival of a species than at Pinnacles National Monument where as many as three 1-year-old condors are ready for release this weekend.
For the first time in two years, a group of condors is ready for release, and the public is invited.
A successful release is all about the timing – and most of that depends on the birds themselves.
“While they are in the facility, there is a mentor bird that is teaching them the ways of the world, as it were,” said Carl Brenner, the volunteer coordinator for Pinnacles National Monument. “They learn not to roost on the ground, where the best part of the food is and it teaches them hierarchy.”
While Pinnacles staff has plans to release only three birds this week, five are ready for release. Four came from the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, and the other came from the San Diego Wild Animal Park.
The staff will be conducting what they call a soft release. At the release, they will open an interior door in the pen and when any of the selected condors enters that space, they will close the door. Then a door to the outside of the flying pen will be opened. All of the maneuvering of doors will be done out of sight of the condors.
“If the birds become familiar to people and find them not to be a threat, they will interact more and will become injured or become nuisances,” Brenner said. “They are carrion eaters – looking for things that are dead – so they would get into coolers and near roads or areas that would be unsafe to them.”
Throughout their work with the animals, staff stay hands off.
“Any wild animal needs to stay wild,” Brenner said.
After the birds are released, some choose to stay with familiar friends while others join flocks of older birds.
“They are more apt to find food if they are being social and being with others than if they are alone,” Brenner said.
In addition to work with the mentor bird, there are mock power poles in the pen to help the birds learn to stay away from them.
“As long as they are not landing on those and exhibiting those successful behaviors,” Brenner said, they are ready for release.
All the birds at Pinnacles National Monument have eventually learned the behaviors necessary to be released into the wild.
The April 21 release marks an important milestone for the condor program. In 1987, the last wild condor was captured. When the Condor Recovery Project began there were only 22 California condors left.
Twenty years later, there are more than 280 birds – though many are still in captive breeding programs.
“The best way to protect the resources is to educate people and get them involved,” Brenner said. “They can see first hand why we are asking them to do things and why we are managing the land in certain ways.”
Brenner also commends nearby neighbors for their help in making the Pinnacles National Monument program successful.
“Thanks to the community and the landowners around the park for all their hardwork and involvement,” Brenner said.
The Saturday morning release is open to the public, though visitors are encouraged to carpool as there is limited parking. The event starts at 9:30 a.m., and visitors are encouraged to arrive at the park no later than 7:30 a.m. There is a shuttle to the trailhead, but visitors will have a mile hike ahead of them to the viewing area. The first condor will be released as early as 10 a.m., though it all depends on whether the condors make the exit of their own accord. If no birds have exited by 1 p.m., the release will be delayed.
Visitors may bring water, snacks, hats, suncreen, and binoculars or spotting scopes.
In addition to the condor release, Pinnacles is celebrating National Parks Week April 22-29. The week will include Junior Ranger Day Saturday, April 28 with a day of family and youth events. For more information on these and other events, call 389-4485 or visit www.nps.gov/pinn/.
Regional Earth Day events
GILROY
The Earth Day Festival will be at Christmas Hill Park, in Gilroy; Saturday, April 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Events include wildlife education, tree planting and birdhouse building. Sponsored by the Gilroy Community Services Department and the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society. For more information, call 408-846-0460.
GavFEST will be held at Gavilan College, 5055 Santa Teresa Blvd. The campus open house will feature sports, food, music and eco-friendly activities. Saturday, April 21, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 408-848-4800 for more information.
Pacheco State Park staff are holding their 4th annual Wildflower Day at Pacheco State Park, located off Hwy. 152 between Gilroy and Los Banos. The event includes a birding walk, a wildflower hike, history tour and other events. A barbecue tri-tip lunch will be available for $7. For more information, call 209-826-6283 or visit www.parks.ca.gov/events.
HOLLISTER
Bring your brooms, dustpans, garden gloves and shovels and help us get downtown Hollister in tip-top shape. A community-supported cleanup of downtown will include pulling weeds, planting, scrubbing and painting the city center. For more information, call 636-8406.
MONTEREY
The Earth Day Music and Arts Festival will be Saturday, April 21 from noon to 5 p.m. at the CSU Monterey Bay main quad. Gather information on how to save the environment while listening to music and looking at art. For more information, e-mail Tr*********************@cs***.edu.
Return of the Natives environmental restoration project will meet at Natividad Creek Park, 1395 Nogal Dr., in Salinas from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tools, water snacks and sandwiches will be provided. For more information, call 582-3686
