"Once pushed to the brink of extinction, condors are soaring in Northern California skies again with the help of an Indigenous tribe and a team of scientists."

"Among the world’s tallest trees, next to the world’s biggest ocean and along the state’s longest highway, the largest birds in North America are returning to Northern California after a 130-year absence.

In the 1800s, California condors were the heartbeat of the region, soaring higher than any bird — but humans pushed the condors to the brink of extinction. Now, the Northern California Condor Restoration Program, the native Yurok Tribe and government agencies have introduced a program to blend the species back into the natural landscape of the Pacific Northwest over the next two decades.

A California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) sounds almost mythical: A bird larger than any person. Teeth that can rip through whale flesh. Yet a gentle conservator that does not kill, but rather feeds on animals that are already dead."

Alice Li, Kasha Patel, and Melina Mara report for the Washington Post September 15, 2022. [2]