California Condor Release: The public is invited to attend this year’s release on Saturday, March 15 at 11 a.m., when four condors will be released at the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. Condors were added to the federal endangered species list in 1967. The condor is the largest flying land bird in North America. The birds can weigh up to 26 pounds and have a wingspan of up to 9 1/2 feet. Condors were first reintroduced in Arizona in 1996.
To view the condor release, turn off Highway 89A onto House Rock Valley Road (BLM Route 1065). Travel north about three miles to a shaded viewing area on the right. The release site is approximately one mile from the viewing point. Several spotting scopes will be available to the public, although participants are encouraged to bring their own binoculars or spotting scopes for better viewing. Staff will be available to provide updates and answer questions.
The condor reintroduction in Arizona is a joint project of many partners, including Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Peregrine Fund, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Kaibab National Forest and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. For more information on California condors, visit www.azgfd.gov/condor
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