Bird on the wing [UPDATED]
And now for the good news.
With the emergence of seven California condor chicks from their nests this year, the wild population of condors now outnumbers the number in captivity for the first time since the endangered birds were reintroduced in 1992.
The seven young birds who fledged bring California's wild condor population to more than 80. There are about 167 condors flying free and some 160 in captive breeding programs.
Including groups in recovery programs in Arizona and Mexico, the total number of California condors is now about 320.
Good news for a big, ugly bird that numbered only 22 in 1982.
Updated, Thursday at 11:50 a.m.: Turns out our photo actually shows the equally lovely Andean condor, not our state bird. Thanks to the careful readers who spotted the error. We'll dig up a more appropriate photo soon.
Updated, Thursday at 12:10 p.m. Behold, on the right, the California condor.
-- Julie Cart
Photo: Andean condor. Credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times
Photo: California condor. Credit: David Clendenen / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Perhaps comments such as "big ugly bird" could be reserved for comment pages and not presented as information in what was intended as a news article.
Posted by: Maggie from AZ | December 18, 2008 at 08:31 AM
Umm, maybe you could get a picture of a California Condor next time. The picture shown is of a female Andean Condor!!
Posted by: Jenny Theule | December 17, 2008 at 11:26 PM
"There are about 167 condors flying free and some 160 in captive breeding programs.
Including groups in recovery programs in Arizona and Mexico, the total number of California condors is now about 320."
What is this, California Public School math? 167 + 160 = 327, okay? NOT "about 320"
Posted by: Brazzzle | December 17, 2008 at 07:55 PM