The Critically Endangered California condor to be saved, vows Wind Power Company

The federal wildlife officials and the Oregon Zoo are teaming up for an innovative project to save the California condor. The project aims to ease the plight of the soaring condor ad critically endangered species of vulture. These are threatened by the giant wind turbines in the Tehachapi Mountains north-east of Los Angeles.

Avangrid Renewables operates almost 126 turbines as part of its wind power project, Manzana. The company will finance birds’ breeding in captivity to replace those that the 252ft turbine diameter blades might kill. According to a statement by the field supervisor for the US Fish and Wildlife service’s (FWS), Scott Sobiech said, “The Company will be working with a captive breeding facility to fund the breeding of additional condors for release into the wild.”

The FWS said that the California condor, North America’s largest flying land bird with a 9.5ft wingspan, is critically endangered. Four decades ago, the same was brought back from extinction to a current population of about 518 birds in the wild. Although there are no signs of killing any of these birds in the Manzana plant, the breading initiative shows a threat to the species.

Amy Parsons, wildlife compliance manager of Avangrids operations, said, “Our goal is to minimize the risk of mortalities. We see this as a win for condors.” Kern County, where the turbines are located, is currently the habitat for about 100 California condors. In 1987, barely two dozen birds remained. That is when the FWS established a captive breeding program to keep the birds alive.