Question

The California condor, North America’s largest bird, has been pulled from the brink of extinction. In the 1980s, when the number of California condors in the wild fell to fewer than 40 birds, scientists embarked on a controversial recovery program. They captured all of the birds and began breeding them in captivity. Condors are notoriously slow breeders—each adult female lays just one egg every one or two years—but the recovery program has been a success. More than 400 California condors are alive today; more than 100 now live in the wild and have formed small populations in California, Arizona, and Baja California.

Unfortunately, even though the released California condors are considered a protected species, they are still at risk. They are sometimes killed by power lines. They are also exposed to danger because they eat animal remains left by hunters. These remains are likely to contain lead bullet fragments. As a result, condors in the wild will sicken and die of lead poisoning unless they are periodically captured and treated.
1. What were two effects of the number of California condors in the wild falling to fewer than 40?

2. What caused the number of condors to rise to more than 400?

3. What event(s) led to small populations of condors forming in California, Arizona, and Baja California?

4. What is the effect of hunters’ use of lead bullets and shot?

Answer 1

1. Two effects of the number of California condors falling to fewer than 40 were the need for a recovery program and the risk of extinction.

2. The number of condors rose to more than 400 due to a successful recovery program which involved capturing all of the remaining birds and breeding them in captivity.

3. Small populations of condors formed in California, Arizona, and Baja California as a result of the success of the recovery program, which released condors into the wild in these areas.

4. The effect of hunters' use of lead bullets and shot is the potential for California condors to become sick and die from lead poisoning if they ingest the fragments from animal remains left by the hunters.