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California Condors in Madern County, California

Nathan W. Cohen

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California Condors in Madera County, California.-On August 30, 1950, at 5:30 p.m., Mr. Fred D. Douthitt, Superintendent of the San Joaquin Experimental Range, called my attention to some Condors (Gymnogygs californianzts) circling over the Range. Mr. Douthitt had first seen the birds at about 5 : 15 p.m. We counted six birds in one widespread group and a few minutes later, after the six had disappeared northward, saw three in the east, thereby making a possible total of nine Condors in all. The Condors seemed to dwarf a group of Turkey Vultures which were circling at a lower altitude.

During the entire time, none of the birds was observed to flap its wings. Individuals would appear overhead and then disappear into the distance within short periods of time, giving one the impression that they were soaring at fast speeds. That they were riding on updrafts is partly indicated by the presence of a storm front which appeared at 2:30 p.m. north of the Range in the form of dust clouds. By 5:30 p.m. the dust cloud was directly west of the Range.

Grinnell and Miller (Pac. Coast Avif. No. 27, 1944) do not cite any records of this species north of Fresno County in recent years.-NATHAN W. COHEN, Division of zoology, University of California, San _Jouquin Experimental Range, ONeals, ’ California, October 30, 1950.

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