The AMAZING Quest for California Condors at the Grand Canyon

The California Condor is a species that was nearly lost forever. With the help of reintroduction efforts, they have rebounded and now fly wild over certain parts of the Southwestern United States. One of these places is the Grand Canyon. With a beautiful backdrop, Ryan and Derek go on a quest to try and find some of these rare and majestic birds.
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Panasonic LUMIX FZ80 4K Digital Camera
Used for most bird videos) - check credits as we do source some photos/videos elsewhere which is noted in the description
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Cayer FP2450 Fluid Head Tripod, 75 inches Aluminium Tripod
Derek's lighter tripod
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Andoer Video Tripod Aluminum Alloy 67 Inch
Derek's heavier tripod
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Nikon D5300
Derek's vlogging and macro camera
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Rode VideoMicPro Compact Directional On-Camera Microphone
Derek's external microphone for Nikon D5300
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Thanks to Terry Sohl for allowing us to use his range maps
www.sdakotabirds.com/index.ht...
Photo at 13:00, 13:26, 13:34 by USFWS Pacific Southwest Region
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California Condor in cover image (Edited) by Scott Flaherty (Public Domain)
All other photos and videos by Derek and Ryan Sallmann
#Birding #BirdWatching #BadgerlandBirding

[@pauraque]

The talking about something not bird related and than instantly turning your head when you hear a bird is so me 😭 My friend: "So like when do you want to finish our group project" Me: "How abou- Well that sounds like a Western Tanager"

[@BadgerlandBirding]

It's a blessing and a curse.

[@mathewfines8727]

I lived in California in the mid 70s, and used to see California Condors in the sky north of San Francisco, in fairly abundant numbers. I became worried about them over the years and am so happy to hear about the capture and breeding program that saved them from extinction. What truly majestic birds! Thank you for this wonderful video!

[@SW-uy]

The California condor is one of my favourite birds 🐦

[@somethinginthepines]

I love Californian Condors, I've been to the Grand Canyon several times and have seen a couple different ones, as well as a juvenile roosting on a cliff edge, who didn't have a tag yet. I do not care how ugly people think vultures and condors are, they are majestic animals.

[@nature_rabbits5370]

Bushtits are one of my favorite species of birds.

[@lynnbyrd9819]

Awesome video! I have a story for you. In the summer of 1978, I was driving some back roads about 10 or 12 miles south of Pleasanton , CA. That area was largely undeveloped then. I saw a massive dark-colored bird as I rounded a corner and stopped the car and took a couple of pictures with my old Nikon camera. I assumed it was a big turkey vulture. Another look showed me the wingspan was huge! Then I saw the white markings under the wings. I went back home later that day and looked it up. Obviously, there was no Google or other search engines back then....or even a computer for me to use. I went to a library and saw some books on birds and condors. I looked them up in an old encyclopedia. I had seen a California Condor! I called the DFG and another agency I was referred to at the time. My discovery and excitement, was met with non- belief and skepticism. I had the picture for years, but honestly, haven't seen it in decades. I did mail a copy of that photo, to CA Fish and Game, along with a letter, describing my encounter. I never heard anything back from them. Of course that was before email and more modern methods of communication. I'm still convinced of what I saw some 46 years later.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thanks so much! It’s one of my personal favorites! -Ryan

[@raymiemiller1455]

I'm extremely jealous - I was at the Grand Canyon Village in March of 2021, and while I saw lots of very cool birds I dipped on the condor. I'm still a bit disappointed, although I did see some other cool things including Zone-tailed Hawk, Red Crossbill, Pinyon Jay, Javelina, and Botta's Pocket Gopher. The Bright Angel Trail was covered in a terrifying layer of ice!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Nice! We were hoping to see some Pinyon Jays but no luck. I can imagine how intimidating the trail would be covered in ice!

[@beechwoodscalling4090]

You guys have the finest birding videos on youtube!

[@doryowen]

You can tell a condor immediately even at a distance when you spot the big plastic tags on the wings.

[@faretheewell3711]

Just saw 23 with his mate 97 he was on that same perch! They finally fledged a bird in the wild it was there also a year old and untagged! What an experience!

[@birdingbythebay]

Awesome THOSE GUYS ARE RARE!

[@aknightthatsaysnee5259]

5:53 LOL! Derek: "The grandest of all canyons...😃" Ryan: "Now, where's the Condors?!😠" LOL 👍

[@BadgerlandBirding]

He's got a one track mind.

[@music-hx5lf]

Just discovered your delightful videos. Bravissimi (🇮🇹) 👏👏👏👏!!!! Keep up the good work!

[@colettejungbluth2651]

Awesome find!!!!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thanks, Colette!

[@nathanielmartin6631]

Great footage considering what you are working with! Im going to buy a t shirt so you guys can get a longer zoom lens haha

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Haha, thank you! If you buy enough t-shirts we will rent the James Webb Telescope and bird with it

[@MrTmiket0007]

Hello from Montreal! Awesome video like always with so many beautiful birds I haven't seen in live yet, yesterday I saw my first golden crowned kinglet 🐦♥️👍

[@atgames99]

Another great video! Thanks, guys!!!

[@mr1pearl]

Oh a Jordan fan eh 😆 👍

[@BadgerlandBirding]

👍👍👍

[@naturewithgabe]

This video was epic. Great job, guys!

[@snowyowl5556]

That thing is insane 😂

[@BadgerlandBirding]

It's the wild wild west.

[@OspreyFlyer]

Very interesting video! Good work! 👍

[@nathanwebb4836]

That was awesome! I would love to see what birds I can find in Arizona one day soon.

[@boredwarlock5216]

Duuuuude! Dinosaur

[@evanoutside3516]

Next time you guys are in the area and want to see more of them flying, I highly recommend checking out the Historic Navajo Bridge and Vermillion Cliffs which are all north of the canyon. Saw a ton of them flying around there when I visited (small plug I have a video about that trip on my channel lol). Just be sure to bring a scope for the cliffs.

[@Hummingbirder1]

I'm gonna check that one out, for sure! (I've only seen the California Condor around Big Sur, fall 2013. Got a shitty photo, that I shamelessly inserted in my shitty video from that trip.)

[@zachmatchinski1764]

Definitely recommend the Navajo Bridge. I took a trip to the Grand Canyon this past weekend and stopped there on my way down, as well as back. I saw 4 Condors each time, and the second time I got to see a Condor chick in a cave that was three-four months old

[@BadgerlandBirding]

This was on our list if we didn't see them at the canyon!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

@@zachmatchinski1764 That sounds adorable.

[@faretheewell3711]

Amazing place to see them!

[@tracyreaume6451]

Great video. Congrats on the sighting.

[@pandap4ntz]

Such a great video, I love condors, I love vultures! Could you imagine how amazing it feels to soar over the canyon like these birds do? So majestic. I'm so glad the California condor has been reintroduced, it would be a less magical world without them.

[@Florafauneando]

Congratulations for the condor's lifer. Interesting and nice place. Yesterday I've seen an Andean condor in a trip to northwestern Patagonia.

[@michaelhochstetler8483]

Nice video! I'm hoping to see a condor next year. I'm still stoked after chasing a Solitaire at Magee Marsh this morning!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Solitaire must be fairly rare for that area. Good find!

[@setapart6937]

This was an excellent video. I didn’t know a thing about California Condors. I hope to see one someday. Learning about their history and the efforts it took to save this species is truly amazing. Is there a website you guys can report your siting of #23? Do you know if efforts are being made to capture and band the ones born in the wild?

[@BadgerlandBirding]

I would imagine they are banding the wild chicks if they know where they are but can't confirm 100%. We made note of the # in eBird. It looks like some particular areas are more interested in people reporting sightings compared to others.

[@zachmatchinski1764]

As long as they know where the Condors are nesting, the Peregrine Fund as well as other organizations hire people to monitor the chicks each day, and they do tag them if at all possible. The person monitoring the chick I saw at the Navajo Bridge mentioned that their plan was to hopefully tag it a couple months from now, when it is 5-6 months old.

[@thorsvenson3530]

This was great. I get to go birding vicariously through your videos. Thank you!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

You're welcome!

[@barbaracole709]

I got my lifer mountain chickadee last week in the mountains above Golden, CO. They are cute little birds. So happy for you that you got such good footage of the California condor! They are impressive!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Congrats! And thank you!

[@ryanwashere]

Love the info given about #23 and the reintroduction efforts in general. Very interesting!

[@StellarLimpkin]

Got my lifer Zone-tailed Hawk at Mather Point last May :)

[@piccadillypie]

Zone-tailed hawk was a good find. Congrat's on your lifers!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thank you! We were pretty pumped about that one!

[@donnaleighjenkins4952]

Very cool adventure guys!! Many birds there at the Grand Canyon!! How cool seeing the Condor above the parking lot then again #23 perched on the small cliff!! Huge bird for sure!!

[@pcliff30]

Thanks for this great video. Your camera work, narration, and editing are so professional. I always look forward to your postings.

[@staufferfamily9629]

Very neat about #23 surviving all this time! I've heard of condors, but didn't really know the details of them and their near extinction. Thanks for the information, and for sharing this beautiful and interesting video!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ABirdersParadise]

Glad you got to see them! I'd love to go back at some point, now that I'm actively birding, to see if I can find some.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

For sure!

[@Beryllahawk]

Fantastic!! It's funny how sometimes we get exactly what we hoped for but in the least expected way possible, isn't it? Such a gorgeous place, and so many wonderful birds! I have to pester my aunt and ask her if she got to see condors when she hiked the Grand Canyon a few years ago.

[@Chris_Wolfgram]

Great job guys 👍 I live in Cali, yet I still haven’t seen a California Condor ! Would love to someday though 🙂 But yea, those Western Tanagers are definitely gorgeous. IMPO they are the prettiest birds we have on the West coast. I’ve gotten really fantastic shots of them, but I can’t imagine not taking the time to look at them closely, and trying to get better shots than I already have. Just not a bird that I can really retire 🙂

[@BadgerlandBirding]

For sure! They are incredible!

[@timjozwiak2293]

The irony of birding

[@zachmatchinski1764]

What day were you guys at the canyon? I saw the same Condor, number 23, at the same lookout point this past Saturday and got some really good flight photos of it

[@BadgerlandBirding]

June 1st and 2nd!

[@Koko-rc3pz]

What lens do you guys use on your camera? I'm relatively new to birding and i'm thinking about getting a 100-400mm for my Canon EOS 250D. It should be fine since im only a beginner, but im still unsure if its enough to take some good pictures. Comparing it with yours would probably help me visualize it better.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

This is the one we use for most bird pics and videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fma2mYudoqimbck we have links in the description to all our gear!

[@robertgeorge9909]

I believe 123 is now the oldest condor in the SW flock . He is usually seen with f#297. A pair that have never produced a chick.

[@jamesgossweiler1349]

If you toss out an antelope carcass and a Cali Condor swoops in and feeds on it, does it qualify as a "feeder bird?"

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Only if it’s in your backyard

[@antlerking69]

#23 Michael Jordan of condors

[@pauraque]

Can someone explain why the heck it's called a Zone-tailed Hawk. What does zone even mean???