California Condor Restoration Foiled by Trash Ingestion

Despite 2009 being a "record-breaking" year for Central California condor restoration, trash ingestion has become a problem for chicks. Four chicks are currently residing in wild nests; however, one was recently found dead from assumed trash ingestion. The Pelican Network reports:

We suspect that condor parents are mistakenly picking up micro-trash (pieces of glass, plastic and metal) and delivering it to their nestlings thinking that they are bringing calcium-rich bone fragments to their offspring. The chicks then ingest the micro-trash and probably have trouble regurgitating it.

This problem was first discovered in southern California but in Big Sur, very little micro-trash has been collected in nests despite an intensive effort to study condor reproduction. In the central coast region since the birds started breeding in the wild there, we have had 11 nesting attempts. A total of 10 chicks hatched in wild nests (with our assistance - check out the video) and 9 of these survived to fledging age. Two of these later died after leaving the nest, however. This is the first chick in our region to die of trash ingestion and now is the time to act. We feel the situation is urgent because we still have condor chicks in nests presently.

Coastal clean up projects are planned to help combat the problem.

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Posted by Jennifer Lance at August 20, 2009 1:10 AM