Soaring, flying sanitation workers of the Grand Canyon

I'm trying to be politically correct here! After all garbage men or scavengers sounds demeaning. But that's what these rare birds are in the canyon - the clean up crew when it comes to dead animals.

A thrilling sight at the Grand Canyon is to see one of only 299 rare California Condors in the wild soaring high on the updrafts. With a wingspan of 9½ feet and a weight of around 22 pounds, they are the largest bird in North America. They are in the vulture family and feed on dead carrion.

In an effort to save this bird, which had dwindled to 22, all were captured and a breeding program was instituted. In 1996, several were released in the canyon and in 2003, this population had their first wild chick. Later some were relocated and released in the Vermillan Ciffs area of Utah. The total now for the AZ/UT area is 63 birds. Since they don't mature until age five or six and then only lay one egg every other year, it is a slow process to build populations. Lead poisoning from bullets appears to be the main cause of death. (For more on the conservation project to restore the condor, see this article.)

We saw one soaring high overhead in the afternoon. (photo) Around 5 we could spot a couple of condors perched on the cliff near Lookout Studio where there is a condor talk everyday at 4 p.m. Later on before sunset we saw several more clinging to the cliffs or perched on tiny ledges. They would land, stay a while, fly around some more and come back, perhaps trying to find the perfect roosting spot for the night. It is a cinch that their roosting spots put them out of danger.

NPS has a page on the condors where you can see a closeup and find out more detail about indivduals. Late afternoon and close to sunset is a good time to see them but you may see them soaring anytime after the sun warms the air. I've seen them perched on rocks quite close to the rim in the fall on the south rim and soaring right off the north rim at other times. Quite a sight! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos by George Bruzenak