Re: CALIFORNIA CONDOR PROBLEMS

["james.d.mcintyre" <james dot d dot mcintyre at worldnet dot att dot net>]

Pomera & Bob:

As you may know, this problem is sadly far more widespread than just to 
Condors.

Many seabirds and other marine wildlife species die each year after 
trying to eat our garbage (especially plastic items) discarded on the 
oceans.

Jim
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Pomera M. Fronce 
  To: birdtalk@utahbirds.org 
  Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2005 12:11 PM
  Subject: [BirdTalk] CALIFORNIA CONDOR PROBLEMS


  Hi Folks -

  I received this information from Bob Walters and thought you might 
find it
  interesting.  And as to the last paragraph, who are the real idiots???

  Pomera


  CALIFORNIA CONDOR PROBLEMS

  It was only about twenty years ago that the chances for California 
Condor
  survival seemed almost hopeless. Since then, daring approaches, solid
  science, hard work, and a spirit of optimism have buoyed chances for 
the
  condor's positive future.

  With healthy appearing experimental populations flying free, it seems 
as
  though we may have turned the corner, or at least approached the 
corner, for
  this species.

  Lead bullets in the environment (i.e., in carrion) have been seen as 
the
  only significant impediment to condor population growth, while other 
things
  have certainly been looking up.

  Last month, however, researchers at the Hopper Mountain National 
Wildlife
  Refuge in California had to remove a condor chick from the nest of 
male #21
  and female #192. The chick appeared to be underdeveloped and was 
losing
  feathers; however, once in hand, the bird to have something impacted 
in
  its crop and gut.

  After transporting the chick to the Los Angeles Zoo, and following a
  three-hour operation, an astounding amount of material was removed 
from the
  ventriculus and proventriculus of the condor chick. The following 
items were
  among the debris removed from the chick: 4 bottle caps and a screw 
top, 3
  electrical fittings, 5 washers, 13 22-caliber shell-casings, 1 
38-caliber
  shell-casing, a shotgun-shell, several pieces of plastic bags, about a
  quarter cup of broken glass and a similar amount of broken plastic, a 
few
  small pieces of fabric, 4 small stones, a metal bracket, a piece of 
wire,
  and a few small pieces of rubber.

  Fortunately, it did not appear that any of this remarkable collection 
of
  detritus perforated the gut, and currently the chick appears to be 
doing
  well.

  Does this mean that all adult condors are attracted to ubiquitous 
shiny
  objects and will bring them back to their nest for their chicks? Or 
does
  this simply mean that male #21 and/or female #192 have this tendency? 
If the
  first option is the case, then the species is clearly in deep trouble, 
since
  these sorts of objects are virtually everywhere in a condor's 
environment.
  If the second is the case - with this unfortunate chick simply having 
"idiot
  parents" - then we should remain hopeful.

  This E-bulletin is distributed as a joint effort between Swarovski
  Optik of North America (SONA) and the National Wildlife Refuge 
Association
  (NWRA).

  _______________________________________________

  "Utah Birds" web site: http://www.utahbirds.org
       BirdTalk:
  To subscribe, e-mail:  birdtalk-subscribe@utahbirds.org
  To unsubscribe, e-mail:  birdtalk-unsubscribe@utahbirds.org
  To send a message, e-mail:  birdtalk@utahbirds.org
  _________________________________________________

_______________________________________________

"Utah Birds" web site: http://www.utahbirds.org
     BirdTalk:
To subscribe, e-mail:  birdtalk-subscribe@utahbirds.org
To unsubscribe, e-mail:  birdtalk-unsubscribe@utahbirds.org
To send a message, e-mail:  birdtalk@utahbirds.org
_________________________________________________