Hey, the Condors are returning to San Diego

Here is good tiding for the followers of California Condors (Gymnogyps californianus) recovery programme. Scientists say condors released in Mexico three years ago have made exploratory flights within 15 miles of the United States. The day is not far off when they will hover over the Skies of San Diego. The last reported sighting of a free flying Condor in San Diego was in 1910. California Condors are the largest flying birds in USA. They can weigh up to 26 pounds and have a wingspan of up to 9 feet. Hunting, pesticides and advance of civilization drove the bird nearly to extinction. The Condor recovery programme was started to stem this alarming situation. The species has been listed as endangered since 1967. Condors are being bred in captivity and are frequently released The death of the first condor chick hatched in the wild in Arizona in more than 80 years on 26th March this year had saddened the scientific committee. The chick was just under two years old, having hatched on May 3, 2003 in a nest cave near the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.