Synopses & Reviews
Return of the Condor is a riveting account of one of the most dramatic attempts to save a species from extinction in the history of modern conservation.
The California condor, North Americas largest bird, lives 50 years or more, is highly intelligent, often mates for life, can fly 150 miles in a day, and was believed by Native Americans to have supernatural powers. But its strength and endurance were not enough to save it from near-extinction. Human greed and ignorance caused the great birds decline. Human ingenuity and insight became its only hope. Down to only twenty-two individuals in the 1980s, the condor owes its survival and recovery to a remarkable team of scientists who flouted conventional wisdom and pursued the most controversial means to save it. Conservationists and scientists have fought what at times has seemed a quixotic battle to save the species. Theirs is a story of passion, courage, and bitter controversy, one that created a national debate over how to save Americas largest bird.
Return of the Condor chronicles this epic story. We meet Jan Hamber, the biologist who made the agonizing decision to capture AC9, the young male who was the last living wild condor; Carl Koford, the brilliant scientist whose flawed conclusions delayed a captive-breeding program until it was almost too late; and two of the condors whose survival was critical, including AC9 himself. There is tragedy and triumph in their stories. Today, condors are more numerous and far easier to see than at any time in the past century, and their expanding territory is home to millions of Americans. For Americas 52 million birders and anyone who cares about saving our natural heritage, this inspiring story shows what happens when we commit ourselves to working with nature instead of against it.
Pulling the California condor back from the brink of extinction has been difficult and expensive. But this fine book by John Moir makes abundantly clear why preserving magnificent beings like our once-more wild condors is one of twenty-first-century societys more important obligations.”
Alan Tennant author of On The Wing: To The Edge Of The Earth With The Peregrine Falcon
Review
"Audubon himself would be delighted to read John Moir's exciting and authoritative account of the difficult, politically fraught but ultimately rewarding effort to save the largest of all the living birds, a great shadow in the sky above the Western range. I certainly was."--Richard Rhodes, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of
John James Audubon: The Making of an American"By the 1980s, the California condor was well on its way to extinction. The saga of this magnificent bird, which had soared above the North American continent at a time when mastodons and saber-toothed cats still roamed the Earth, seemed to be nearing the end. The only thing standing in the way of this grim fate was the dedication of a small group of researchers and naturalists, committed to saving the condor. With eloquence and insight, John Moir chronicles the effort to save this spectacular bird. His book is a remarkable testament to what a few dedicated individuals can accomplish."--Tim Gallagher, Director of Publications, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
"Return of the Condor is an account of cutting-edge conservation biology, but it is also an eminently human story. John Moirs focus is on the problematic intersection between science and scientists, between bird lovers and the great bird itself. The subject mattercomplex and controversial, ultimately heartwarmingdemands a skilled and sympathetic writer, and Moirs chronicle is thoroughly successful in this regard."--Ted Floyd, editor of Birding Magazine, American Birding Association
"John Moirs dramatic account of bringing the condor back from the brink of extinction is a reminder of the fragility of life on our planet and of the capacity of one species, humans, to protect or extinguish all others. Return of the Condor is a powerful tribute to the scientists, politicians, hunters, environmentalists, and concerned citizens who ultimately found a way to work together to ensure the survival of one of the most remarkable species on Earth."--Mark Schaefer, CEO, Global Environment and Technology Foundation, Former president of NatureServe
"A heart-stopping saga of the rescue from the very brink of extinction of one of the grandest of all birds. Starting with page one, I was captured by Return of the Condor. America is the richer for the success of those who fought against all odds . . . and this tale is one all should read."--Thomas Lovejoy, President, The Heinz Center for Science, Economics and the Environment, Founder of the PBS series Nature
"Pulling the California condor back from the brink of extinction has been difficult, and expensive. But this fine book by John Moir makes abundantly clear why preserving magnificent beings like our once-more wild condors is one of 21st century society's more important obligations."--Alan Tennant, author of On The Wing: To The Edge Of The Earth With The Peregrine Falcon
"John Moir has written an uplifting and well-researched tale that takes us on the condor's roller-coaster ride to recovery. Equally exhilarating and
heart-breaking, this important story brings complex issues into clear focus and lets us understandwith both heart and mindwhy we need to save this intelligent and majestic bird."--Maria Mudd Ruth, author of Rare Bird: Pursuing the Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet
Moir deftly chronicles the efforts of the dedicated biologists
who work to save the California condor from extinction.”-- Publishers Weekly
Review
"The passenger pigeon and Carolina parakeet are gone forever, victims of ignorance and exploitation. John Moir eloquently describes the inspired effort to save the condor from the same fate. It is a compelling story that reminds us that human ingenuity and perseverance can ensure the survival of a specieswhen we recognize and value the diversity of life on Earth."--Mark Schaefer, CEO, Global Environment and Technology Foundation, Former president of NatureServe
Synopsis
Return of the Condor is far and away the best book on the subject. John Moir covered the condor recovery effort for magazines and newspapers for years and his extensive and award-winning journalism, including an investigative piece for Birding magazine, became this fine book. Moir presents a unique insider’s view of the remarkable tale of saving a species from the brink of extinction. Down to a population of only twenty-two in the 1980s, the condor owes its survival and recovery to a team of scientists who flouted conventional wisdom and pursued the most controversial means to save it. John Moir’s account shows the depth of their passion and courage and details the bitter controversy that led to a national debate over how to save America’s largest bird.
Synopsis
"A heart-stopping saga of the rescue from the very brink of extinction of one of the grandest of all birds."--Thomas Lovejoy, president of the Amazon Biodiversity Center.
Return of the Condor is the riveting account of one of the most dramatic attempts to save a species from extinction in the history of modern conservation. Features a new Afterword by the author.
With the condor's population down to only twenty-two birds in the 1980s and their very survival in doubt, the condor recovery team flouted conventional wisdom and pursued a controversial strategy to pull the bird back from the brink of extinction. Thus began the ongoing, decades-long program to reestablish America's largest bird in its ancient home in Western skies.
Award-winning science writer John Moir takes readers into the backcountry to get to know the recovery program scientists as well as some of the individual condors. These are stories of peril, uncertainty, and controversy. Woven throughout these tales of heartbreak and triumph is the extraordinary dedication of the humans who have sometimes risked their lives for this charismatic, intelligent, and social bird.
Despite the program's remarkable successes, the condor's narrative is still unfolding with a number of challenges remaining. This includes the dilemma of lead poisoning among free-flying condors that is a major obstacle to the bird's recovery.
The new Afterword presents a compelling examination of the progress and continuing adversity facing the condor recovery effort since the first edition of the book was published.
Finalist for the William Saroyan International Writing Prize
from the Stanford University Libraries
Honorable Mention from the National Association of Science Writers
Synopsis
A gripping account of the dramatic race to preserve one of America's most imperiled birds.
About the Author
John Moir is a naturalist and science educator, and his articles have appeared in the
San Francisco Chronicle,
The San Francisco Examiner, the
San Jose Mercury News, and
The Sacramento Bee, among others.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 The Last Condor
Chapter 2 Giant Avian Primates
Chapter 3 Dancing Molokbes and Sinister Buzzards
Chapter 4 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Chapter 5 Death of a Chick
Chapter 6 Doin' the Double-Clutch Two-Step
Chapter 7 Point of No Return
Chapter 8 Kids on the Loose
Chapter 9 A Senseless Shooting
Chapter 10 AC8's Day in Court
Chapter 11 Shadows in the Sky
Chapter 12 Homeward Bound
Appendix 1 Where to See Condors
Appendix 2 How to Learn More About Condors