Gymnogyps californianus

tags: California Condor, Gymnogyps californianus, Joel Sartore, National Geographic, image of the day California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) 336 (156 wild, 180 captive). Image: Joel Sartore/National Geographic [larger view]. The photographer writes; They survived the Ice Age, but condors barely held out against Homo sapiens. Many of these scavengers were shot or poisoned by fragments of lead left behind by hunters. In 1985 just nine wild birds remained. Captive breeding and reduced use of lead ammunition have brought the species back. Joel Sartore has shared some of his work on this…
tags: birds,California Condor, Gymnogyps californianus, ornithology, Image of the Day California condor, Gymnogyps californianus, #97, flying over Bright Angel Lodge at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, August 2006. Image: Jeff Lanam. [larger size].