Portrait of a Bygone Era - California Condor
16 inches high x 16 inches wide

“Roger Tory Peterson introduced James Fisher to the California Condor during their epic trip across America chronicled in Wild America. At the time, there were an estimated 60 condors soaring across the Sespe area in Ventura County, California. After seeing the giant bird, the two ornithologists discussed the future of the species and how it can survive in a changing world. Some of their ideas - captive propagation, removal of pesticides from the environment - were adopted in the 1980s.

“I saw my first condor in 1983 soaring above the Pacific Coast Highway near Morro Bay. It brought me to tears of joy. The condors were already being captured and taken to local zoos for controlled breeding, but here was a solo bird - one of the last 22 - still wild.

“In Arizona, condors that need medical attention due to lead exposure, injury, and more recently the avian influenza are brought to Liberty Wildlife, where I volunteer. I see the effort that field teams, veterinarians, and volunteers make to save each bird and how breakthrough information is shared with colleagues in California and Idaho.

“In 2023, Liberty Wildlife received a condor egg after the female succumbed to influenza and the male couldn't search for food and successfully incubate the egg at the same time. A few days later, the egg hatched and the chick - named Milagra (Miracle) was paired with foster parents at the Peregrine Fund’s center in Boise, Idaho. She was released in Northern Arizona in September 2024.

“I consider it a privilege to share our two resident condors who cannot be released into the wild with the public. Their first glimpse is often one of awe - the same awe I had in 1983 and, I imagine, the same feeling that James Fisher had.”

Art that Matters to the Planet: Wild America
Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Jamestown, N.Y.
March–July, 2025