Prey-go-neesh, the Condors, Return to the Land of the Tall Trees Because of the Determination of the Yurok Tribe
The birds almost went extinct–only 23 were in the wild in the 1980’s but heroic efforts brought up their numbers.
Still, the tribe had to struggle to get the condor program to accept their area as a suitable site to release the birds. But, after almost twenty years, they’ve brought the birds to their land and will release them this spring. The prey-go-neesh, as the Yurok call the condor, are important to them culturally and as part of a healthy environment.
“We are extremely proud of the fact that our future generations will not know a world without prey-go-neesh,” said Joseph L. James, Chairman of the Yurok Tribe on their website.
The Yurok Tribe has a live feed of the four Condors here: https://www.yuroktribe.org/yurok-condor-live-feed
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I can’t wait to see one of these amazing birds soaring over the beautiful Humboldt landscape.
Condor garments.
I saw 5 above Ruth lake 2 days ago. My friend saw them also
I believe my wife saw one in the Arcata bottoms two years ago as well.
I’ve wondered ever since if some had already arrived in the area from further south.
What your wife saw was likely a Turkey Vulture!!!
It’s possible. She expressed to me that she had seen “the weirdest looking turkey vulture” in the bottoms. When she described it it sounded like a condor and I pulled up a picture and showed her and she agreed that that was the bird she had seen. She was not aware of condors at the time.
I think they’re in an enclosure, getting used to things, if they’re up here yet at all. There’s nothing popping up on the live feed yet. It will take more than a few days for them to cruise Arcata, even if it is the center of the universe. I’m guessing it takes a bit of time for them to start breeding and repopulate the Ruth area. I just saw an eagle pretty close. It had a 7 ft wing span, and could have picked up a small dog. If what you saw was big, just wait till you see an actual condor!
You need to go back to the live feed. They were there yesterday
I am not at all suggesting that she saw these condors. This was 2 years ago.
No.
No, you didn’t
I absolutely did. I had just learned how to identify them and there they were the next day
I can actually see one right now
Take a picture. You’ll be famous
You were mistaken.
White under the wings. It’s not to hard to tell
Probably just turkey buzzards. Condors are about 3 times as lsrge as them.
No, you didn’t. You probably saw turkey buzzards.
Unbelievably cool. I’ve been waiting decades years for this to happen after it was first proposed
They did this all by themselves without modern science? I had no idea the Yurok tribe runs the condor program.
Why would you assume the Yurok tribe doesn’t use modern science?
You OK?
you took the bait
That’s how you catch bears
Im great thanks for asking. The article credits only the Yurok tribe for this, and modern science is not a product purely (or remotely close to primarily) of Indian origin.
Wut?
is this “amazing!” under a different name.
Nothing in the article is false as far as I know.
Neither was fentynal.
All condors alive now have come from a captive breeding program somewhere down South. The Yurok have gotten themselves the inspirado to set up a program to start reintroducing the condors back into the wild up here. If say BLM, or State Parks had the institutional motivation, they could have worked towards setting up a program in the King Range, or Sinkyone. Our public lands tend to be just kinda maintained by folks just going through the motions, doing their time in stepping stone job positions.
So the Yurok have a breeding program down south, incredible!
Nobody said that.
What is your problem?Are you trying to belittle what the Yurok Tribe is doing?
I wish all the best for these magnificent birds. While my personal favorites are the brilliant tricksters, crows and ravens, I’ve often times relaxed for long stretches on grassy hills marveling at the souls who soar on thermals. An ornithologist friend once said her favorite bird was the vulture because they harm no one and no thing. They literally clean the landscape of rot. I can admire that. I hope humans can learn to clean up their messes so this new generation of Condor never get the taste of antifreeze, a story I remember from the early 90s. However, as much as I am amazed by these creatures and the efforts to keep them alive, I think back to my anthropology instructor, in the late 80s, who said the Condors’ time has come and gone. He wasn’t unsympathetic, just stating that the large animal carcasses these birds once fed on, during the early part of this current Holocene epoch and into the earlier Pliocene epoch, no longer exist. Whether that is a human creation or an evolutionary phase is moot.
I wish all the best for these magnificent birds.
What about Christie’s ranch?
I’m sure they loved the cattle carcasses along with the whale station leftovers of centuries past. Maybe they had a population boost then.
What about whales, seals, sea lions, elk, deer, salmon?
Nice to hear a good story. Happy soaring big birds.
In 1956, was headed to CC from Gasquet in the old Ford with my parents. Came around a corner and there were a bunch of vultures feeding on a road kill in the middle of the road. They all scrambled out of the way except one who rose into the air late. He came through the windshield, into the back seat and threw up all over the place.
Did the bird survive? :-\
Childhood memories never forgotten.
A bird as dumb as liberals, Commiefornia doesn’t need anymore!!!!
Bro, keep the magnificent birds, only they can actually eat the liberals…
Who ya runnin for Governor?
Then why is it research consistently finds that someone with low iQ/intelligence is more likely to be conservative?
Are you speaking for the perps or their victims?
Low iq can be corellated to those who rely on others for their safety ,and security.
It will be Interesting to see how all the finger pointers defend themselves against the hell that’s coming
“Low iq can be corellated to those who rely on others for their safety ,and security.” you Jones say. Yeah, in the dang near flippin Stonage. I know, let’s all pack and over react lol.
I have been following this story for some years now. several years ago we went camping at Big Sur hoping for a glimpse, but, missed them. I want to go drive Bald Hill rd and explore the south end of hwy 169 and the river. It looks like an interesting area.
!
Thanks to y’all my children will see condors in their life! Great job!!!!!
Great news! Back in the early 70’s there were adventurous souls who would hike back into the mountains behind Santa Barbara and the Sespe area to get a glimpse of the wild ones which were not yet extinct. It seems so appropriate that the descendants of the Native American people who roamed the wild hills and valleys of this area have now joined the effort to restore these rare birds to their habitat. I’m sure the
Chumash (Santa Barbara Native Americans) have their own stories to tell about the condors!
It’s real easy to tell for sure that you have actually seen a California Condor… They have wing numbers.
It’s like when you first see a snake. You automatically think that it might be a rattlesnake, but when you see a rattlesnake, you know instantly what it is.
Yes they’re unmistakable.
Unless you know some real smart people! i know one who was SURE it wasn’t a baby rattle snake, very painful lesson! I never touched a snake again after I saw that I was probably 10 he was like 30, funny thing is he was a scientist lol
Are we not interfering with the natural order of things since these birds were not able to adapt to the changing environment? Should they not die off like the dinosaurs did long before people were around? We are dooming the world by unnaturally allowing weaker species to survive and could have dire ending for the whole world. People are part of the environment not set aside and if they can not survive our encroachment then they should not be around. This goes against the rules of natural selection and should be stopped.