Condor Over the Grand Canyon in Black and White

by Lee Craig

Title

Condor Over the Grand Canyon in Black and White

Artist

Lee Craig

Medium

Photograph - Photograph-digital Art

Description

This image of the Grand Canyon, USA, was produced on a cold December day when the temperatures had reached 18 degrees below zero the night before. Not many tourists were taking in the majestic sight that day, which was a shame for them and a good thing for me.
A condor soars above the Grand Canyon. Regarded as one of the rarest birds in the world, the California condor is the largest land bird in North America with a wingspan up to 9 1/2 feet and weighing up to 23 pounds. Adults are primarily black except for triangle-shaped patches of bright white underneath their wings. These patches are visible when condors are flying overhead and offer a key identification characteristic. Using thermal updrafts, condors can soar and glide at up to 50 miles per hour and travel 100 miles or more per day searching for food while expending little energy.
The world total of California condors today is around 400, more than half of which are in the wild. Although still endangered and facing ongoing challenges such as lead poisoning, they've come a long way since numbering just 22 in 1982.
Since the first release at Vermilion Cliffs in December 1996, three condors have been fatally shot in Arizona, one of them by a fisherman in Grand Canyon National Park! People have also impacted their habitat and probably their food sources, stolen their eggs, and inadvertently killed condors when setting out poison for coyotes and other predators.
But the greatest threat to condors today also played a significant role in their decline prior to 1982–lead poisoning. As strict carrion feeders, condors seek out large mammal carcasses or portions thereof. Too often, those carcasses or gut piles contain lead rifle bullet fragments. Biologists for The Peregrine Fund, the lead agency dealing with the re-introduction of condors in Arizona, spend much of their time testing and treating condors for lead poisoning. Nevertheless, lead poisoning remains the most common cause of death for the wild condors in this area.
Fortunately, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has an active program to encourage hunters in northern Arizona to switch to non-lead ammunition. During the 2007 hunting season, more than 80 percent of northern Arizona hunters voluntarily made the switch. And in California, a new law now bans lead ammunition for hunting large game in areas inhabited by condors.

This and the other works in my portfolio and galleries are suitable for home and business décor. Please browse my work to find the perfect piece for your needs. Many of the images are available in several size formats.
I welcome your visits, comments, pins and tweets. Come back often as new work is added regularly. All images are copyrighted by Lee Craig. Copying, altering or displaying without the artists permission is prohibited. Thank you for visiting!

Uploaded

April 11th, 2014

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