|
Prehistory |
A
healthy population of California condors ranged throughout
the coastal regions of North America from British
Columbia to Baja California, east to Florida and
north to New York. |
| 1602 |
First
recorded sighting of a California Condor by a European,
Father Antonio de la Ascension, in Monterey Bay,
California. The condor served as a deity figure in
Native American cultures. |
| 1805 |
On
October 28, Lewis and Clark reported a sighting of
a condor, referring to it as a "Vulture of the
Columbia", near the junction of the Wind River
and the Columbia River in present-day Washington
State. The next day, they shot one for a closer look. |
| 1806 |
On
February 16, members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
brought the leaders a live condor whereupon they
performed an extensive visual examination of the
bird. |
| 1827 |
A
large group of California condors was seen near Fort
Vancouver feasting upon the carcasses of horses killed
in a storm. |
| 1904 |
The
last reliable sighting of a California condor in
Oregon occurred in Drain. |
| 1939 |
National
Audubon Society researcher Carl B. Koford began intensive
field studies of the California Condor providing
some of the first authoritative information about
the species. He estimated 60 to 100 condors remained
in the wild. |
| 1967 |
The
California condor is included in the first federal
list of U.S. Endangered Species. |
| 1975 |
California
Condor Recovery Team established and the recovery
plan adopted. |
| 1979 |
U.S.
Congress approved first special designation to expedite
California Condor Recovery Plan. Field survey program
launched. |
| 1982 |
Only
21 birds remained in the wild. |
| 1987 |
The
17 remaining free-flying condors were taken into
captivity. |
| 1988 |
First
successful breeding among California Condors occurred
at the San Diego Zoo. |
| 1992 |
Two
California Condors were reintroduced into the wild
accompanied by two Andean condors. |
| 1996 |
On
June 15, the 100th chick born in captivity
hatched at the L.A. Zoo. |
| 1999 |
Several
older birds observed feeding on a sea lion carcass
in an isolated cove along the Big Sur coastline.
This was the first documentation of condors foraging
on marine mammals along the Big Sur coast in more
than 100 years. |
| 2001 |
Oregon
Zoo joined the California Condor Recovery Program
as the fourth captive breeding partner.
Offspring of a conservation-reared condor pair becoame
first chick to hatch in wild since 1984. |
| 2002 |
Last wild condor captured in 1987 for captive breeding
program released back to the wild. |
| 2003 |
Construction
of Oregon Zoo's off-site condor facility initiated.
Condors arrive at facility on November 20. |
| 2004 |
First
condor chick to be born in Oregon, after more than
a century, hatched at Oregon Zoo on May 9. |
| 2005 |
Second condor chick born at Oregon Zoo's breeding
facility hatched on April 18.
The offsite Condor breeding facility under went
construction of additional breeding space and a pre-release
"boot camp" for juvenile condors.
Third condor chick born at the Oregon Zoo's breeding
facility hatched on May 9. |
| 2006 |
Fourth condor chick born at the Oregon Zoo's breeding
facility hatched on April 19.
Fifth condor chick born at the Oregon Zoo's breeding
facility hatched on May 13. |
| 2007 |
Four condors from the Oregon Zoo were transported
to Idaho for holding before release in Arizona. Watch
the video |
