We document causes of death in free-ranging California Condors (Gymnogyps californianus) from the inception of the reintroduction program in 1992 through December 2009 to identify current and historic mortality factors that might interfere with establishment of self-sustaining populations in the wild. A total of 135 deaths occurred from October 1992 (the first post-release death) through December 2009, from a maximum population-at-risk of 352 birds, for a cumulative crude mortality rate of 38%. A definitive cause of death was determined for 76 of the 98 submitted cases, 70%(53/76) of which were attributed to anthropogenic causes. Trash ingestion was the most important mortality factor in nestlings (proportional mortality rate [PMR] 73%; 8/11), while lead toxicosis was the most important factor in juveniles (PMR 26%; 13/50) and adults (PMR 67%; 10/15). These results demonstrate that the leading causes of death at all California Condor release sites are anthropogenic. The mortality factors thought to be important in the decline of the historic California Condor population, particularly lead poisoning, remain the most important documented mortality factors today. Without effective mitigation, these factors can be expected to have the same effects on the sustainability of the wild populations as they have in the past.
PATHOLOGY|
January 01 2012
PATTERNS OF MORTALITY IN FREE-RANGING CALIFORNIA CONDORS (GYMNOGYPS CALIFORNIANUS)
Bruce A. Rideout;
Bruce A. Rideout
16
1 Wildlife Disease Laboratories, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, PO Box 120551, San Diego, California 92112, USA
16 Corresponding author (email: brideout@sandiegozoo.org)
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Ilse Stalis;
Ilse Stalis
1 Wildlife Disease Laboratories, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, PO Box 120551, San Diego, California 92112, USA
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Rebecca Papendick;
Rebecca Papendick
1 Wildlife Disease Laboratories, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, PO Box 120551, San Diego, California 92112, USA
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Allan Pessier;
Allan Pessier
1 Wildlife Disease Laboratories, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, PO Box 120551, San Diego, California 92112, USA
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Birgit Puschner;
Birgit Puschner
2 Toxicology Laboratory, California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
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Myra E. Finkelstein;
Myra E. Finkelstein
3 Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA
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Donald R. Smith;
Donald R. Smith
3 Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA
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Matthew Johnson;
Matthew Johnson
4 U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA
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Michael Mace;
Michael Mace
5 Bird Department, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, California 92027, USA
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Richard Stroud;
Richard Stroud
6 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Forensic Lab, Ashland, Oregon, USA
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Joseph Brandt;
Joseph Brandt
7 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex, California Condor Recovery Program, PO Box 5839, Ventura, California 93005, USA
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Joe Burnett;
Joe Burnett
8 Ventana Wildlife Society, 19045 Portola Dr. Ste. F-1, Salinas, California 93908, USA
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Chris Parish;
Chris Parish
9 The Peregrine Fund, 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, Idaho 83709, USA
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Jim Petterson;
Jim Petterson
10 National Park Service, Pinnacles National Monument, 5000 Highway 146, Paicines, California 95043, USA
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Carmel Witte;
Carmel Witte
1 Wildlife Disease Laboratories, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, PO Box 120551, San Diego, California 92112, USA
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Cynthia Stringfield;
Cynthia Stringfield
11 Moorpark College, 7075 Campus Road, Moorpark, California 93021, USA
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Kathy Orr;
Kathy Orr
12 Phoenix Zoo, 455 North Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, Arizona 85008-3431, USA
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Jeff Zuba;
Jeff Zuba
13 Veterinary Services, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, California 92027, USA
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Mike Wallace;
Mike Wallace
14 Applied Animal Ecology, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, California 92027, USA
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Jesse Grantham
Jesse Grantham
15 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Condor Recovery Program, 2493 Portola Road, Suite A, Ventura, California, 93003, USA
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J Wildl Dis (2012) 48 (1): 95–112.
Article history
Received:
December 13 2010
Accepted:
August 31 2011
Citation
Bruce A. Rideout, Ilse Stalis, Rebecca Papendick, Allan Pessier, Birgit Puschner, Myra E. Finkelstein, Donald R. Smith, Matthew Johnson, Michael Mace, Richard Stroud, Joseph Brandt, Joe Burnett, Chris Parish, Jim Petterson, Carmel Witte, Cynthia Stringfield, Kathy Orr, Jeff Zuba, Mike Wallace, Jesse Grantham; PATTERNS OF MORTALITY IN FREE-RANGING CALIFORNIA CONDORS (GYMNOGYPS CALIFORNIANUS). J Wildl Dis 1 January 2012; 48 (1): 95–112. doi: https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-48.1.95
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