If you frequent any of the popular social media sites, you’ve likely heard of the Condor Cam. Wildlife biologists from the Oakland Zoo and Ventana Wildlife Society have enlisted a solar-powered camera to study the condors in their research and rescue program. They teamed up with CamZone and FedEx to allow public access to the live streaming condor cam. The video link has been spreading across social media like wildfire. “It’s a portal to look through the eyes of the people who have dedicated their lives to saving the condor,” explained Kelly Sorenson, Ventana Wildlife Society’s executive director. “This gives you a glimpse into our world.”
The Oakland Zoo constructed a rehabilitation center for sick and injured condors, as part of the California Condor Recovery Program. Many birds of prey, including the condor have been getting sick and dying from lead poisoning. The lead enters their system when they feed on game that was killed with lead bullets and not retrieved by the hunter. Once the condors are rehabilitated, they are released in Big Sur, at the Ventana Wildlife Society’s release site. About 2,800 feet in the air, rests the condor cam, allowing a unique view into the lives of the evasive birds of prey.
The camera has been a huge help to the researchers, who are currently monitoring more than 60 birds in Central California with the help of GPS technology. The camera allows the researchers to visualize how the birds are behaving and how they move. GPS devices are great for tracking migration and bird population, but the camera helps researchers to monitor the condors on an entirely differently level. One of the birds was acting strangely on camera and researchers were concerned it had injured its eye. By zooming in on the camera feed, they were able to determine the condor was only cleaning its eye.
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Condor Cam Aids Conservationists in GPS Tracking Study
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