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ZION NATIONAL PARK — Biologists with the National Park Service announced they had confirmed the existence of a California condor chick in Zion National Park.
For weeks, biologists have believed a pair of condors were caring for an egg in a rock cavity 1,000 feet above a remote canyon floor in the park. June 25, biologists caught a glimpse of the elusive chick on the edge of the nest, making it the first documented occurrence of California condors raising a chick in Utah, National Parks Service said in a release.
Biologists found the nest using transmitters attached to the two adult condors. The birds began exhibiting nesting behavior in the spring, exciting biologists with the prospect they may be incubating an egg.
The gestational period for a California condor is about 56 days, according to Defenders of Wildlife. Condors only lay one egg at a time, and first-time nesters typically fail, NPS wrote. The Zion condors are first-time nesting parents.
The bird, which is on the endangered species list, was nearly extinct 30 years ago. In 1982, only 22 condors were known to be alive in America, according to Zion National Park. Since then, biologists made efforts in captivity to increase condor population and reintroduce the birds to its native areas, including Southern Utah. The birds reproduce only every other year, making repopulation efforts slow.
Now, about 70 condors live in the wilderness of Arizona and Utah, according to NPS.
Biologists said they will keep an eye on the newest condor in Utah.
“This is great news. This pair of condors—and their newly hatched chick—could be a major step toward California condors reestablishing themselves in southern Utah,” said Eddie Feltes, the condor project manager with The Peregrine Fund.
The chick will not fly until the end of the year, as condors take about six months to fledge — the longest of any bird in the North America, Feltes said.
While NPS will not disclose the location of the nest, visitors can look out for other condors flying overhead. The bird’s 9 ½-foot wingspan with flared feathers makes it easy to spot and impressive to watch.
“Our top priorities are to allow the chick to grow and develop in a natural environment without significant human influence, keep it safe, and to protect park resources in the area where the chick is located,” Fred Armstrong, chief of resource management and research at Zion said.
