United States
£ GBP
The California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) has long remained an enigma, disappearing for 15 years before reintroductions began in 1992. Here, the authors document efforts to re-establish viable populations of condors in the wild, providing the most comprehensive and expert analysis of the species' status up to the end of 2005. Several chapters are devoted to the most pervasive limiting factor, lead poisoning, while the others investigate reasons for poor nest success of condor populations; population genetics; captive rearing; and critical reviews of the successes and failures of the recovery effort. This volume is likely to become the major reference handbook on condor biology, and will act as a blueprint for future conservation efforts for the condor and other critically endangered bird species.
The papers in this volume resulted from a symposium entitled "Endangered Species Recovery: The California Condor as a Model." Papers fall under the following sections:
Historical Overview of Condor Declines and Genetics
Current Status of the Population in Arizona
Current Status of the Population in California
Evaluations of Modifications to Captive Rearing Practices
Recommendations for the Future
ALLAN MEE has worked on birds, principally breeding raptors and shorebirds, for more than 20 years. He has led expeditions to Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, and Seychelles to study threatened and little-known birds. Most recently he completed five years of postdoctoral research on California Condors. He is currently managing the reintroduction of the White-tailed Sea Eagle to southwest Ireland.
LINNEA HALL is the Executive Director of the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, in California. She has worked on the behavioral ecology and population dynamics of uncommon and declining birds for more than 15 years, and is currently working on conservation projects in Guatemala and Southern California.
The efforts to save the California Condor, one of the most endangered and unique of all birds, have become a classic example in conservation biology... This review of the latest research highlights the many complex' issues that have been involved in the recovery programme, and will be welcomed by everyone working in wildlife conservation. -- DAVID C. HOUSTON; University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
"This book is the best general overview of the life of the California Condor. The most prominent workers in the field present fascinating new research on a variety of aspects of the biology of this threatened species. The applications derived from this book provide new, interesting and useful tools for conservation biology of California Condors from a fresh perspective." -- ANTONI MARGALIDA; Bearded Vulture Study and Protection Group, Lleida, Spain
"In this timely book, Allan Mee and Linnea S. Hall present the up-to-date situation, research, and management results in an open manner... This book is of broad interest to conservation biologists, ecologists and ornithologists, but is a must for the libraries of raptor biologists." -- MIGUEL FERRER; Estacion Biologica de Donana, Sevilla, Spain
