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The Peregrine Chick:
Flock of giant California condors trashes woman's home
AP / Winnipeg Free Press / 6 May 2021
California condors rest on Cinda Mickols' porch as a flock of the rare, endangered birds took over her deck over last weekend in Tehachapi, Calif. About 15 to 20 of the giant endangered birds have recently taken a liking to the house in Tehachapi and have made quite a mess. (Cinda Mickols via AP)
TEHACHAPI, Calif. - Giant California condors are rare — but not at Cinda Mickols’ home.
About 15 to 20 of the giant endangered birds have recently taken a liking to the house in the city of Tehachapi and made quite a mess.
California condor droppings are left scattered over a porch after a flock of the rare, endangered birds took over the deck over the weekend in Tehachapi, Calif. About 15 to 20 of the giant endangered birds have recently taken a liking to the house in Tehachapi and have made quite a mess.(Cinda Mickols via AP)
Mickols’ daughter, Seana Quintero of San Francisco, began posting photos of the rowdy guests on Twitter. She told the San Francisco Chronicle the birds showed up at her mother’s home sometime last weekend.
The birds have trashed the deck — ruining a spa cover, decorative flags and lawn ornaments. Plants have been knocked over, railings scratched and there’s poop everywhere.
"She’s definitely frustrated but also is in awe of this and knows what an unusual experience this is," Quintero said of her mother.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which runs a program to save the species from extinction, responded on Twitter. The agency noted that the house is in historic condor habitat, and suggested that Mickols try harmless hazing like shouting and clapping or spraying water.
"It is not unusual to see large congregations of condors in certain high use areas like the region where this incident occurred, especially when feeding," Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Pam Bierce said in an email. "Unfortunately, they sometimes perceive houses and decks as suitable perch locations."
California condors almost vanished in the 1980s before the few remaining birds were captured and placed in zoos for captive breeding. A few hundred birds are now in the wild. As condors re-colonize parts of their historical range, people could increasingly find themselves interacting with the "curious, intelligent, social" birds, Bierce said.
Source: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/flock-of-giant-california-condors-trash-womans-home-574362422.html
Alison:
This beautiful black vulture showed up on cam at the northeast Florida bald eagle nest:
Photos: American Eagle Foundation.
The Peregrine Chick:
They are pretty vultures that's for sure ... keeps cool company too. Would have been interesting to know what they were waiting/hoping to dine on ... ;D
Alison:
For the first time, there has been an observation of a Cinereous Vulture in Mauritania. From SEO BirdLife:
First observation of a black vulture in Mauritania! We banded him, as a chick, at the colony in the Valle del Lozoya, Rascafría, Madrid, on July 13, 2017.
The numbers in this colony have increased from 60 pairs in 2007 to 120 pairs currently. 64 chicks were born in the colony in 2017. There is a webcam which follows one of the nests. Last year's chick, Niebla (whose name means "Mist" or "Fog"), fledged successfully on August 29, and continued to return to the nest to eat, sleep and spend time with his parents until the cam was finally turned off for the season.
The cam is active during the breeding season.
http://www.seo.org/webcambuitre/
The young Cinereous Vulture was seen in the company of a Griffon Vulture and a Brown-necked Raven.
First record for Mauritania:
In December 2017, the Dutch birding group Banc d’Arguin recorded a first-winter Cinereous Vulture at Iouik (Iwik) which is located in the Banc d’Arguin National Park, north-western Mauritania. The bird was wearing a yellow colour ring, so most likely from Spain. The bird was photographed with two other scavengers, a Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) and a Brown-necked Raven (Corvus ruficollis). This is the first known record for this Palearctic vulture for Mauritania.
http://www.magornitho.org/2018/01/first-cinereous-vulture-mauritania/
Alison:
That is horrible news about the Andean Condors, TPC. Vultures and Condors continue to be persecuted for no reason. They are beautiful and beneficial birds.
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