How is a California condor trapped? At the same place the condors are getting released this Saturday is an enclosure that serves as both a release pen and a trap! When condors need to be trapped for health check-ups or telemetry equipment replacements in the late fall and winter months, still-born calves are donated to the project from a dairy farm in Phoenix, AZ and the biologists at the Peregrine Fund do a carcass drop after dark for the birds. This is done at night to ensure that condors don’t see humans as a source of food. All condors have both a wing tag and a telemetry unit on their wings so individuals can be identified. The telemetry frequency is unique for each bird so biologist can use special radio equipment to audibly know which birds are nearby and the wing tag is a way to visually identify individuals. Once the target bird is identified and that bird enters the trap, a person hidden in a bird blind will slowly close the trap door by lowering a cable to trap the bird inside! The goal is to trap each bird at least once a year to perform health checkups and to make sure their telemetry is functioning, and their tags are in good condition! Shout out to the @zionforeverproject for providing funding to allow The Peregrine Fund to build a new trap with a functional indoor lab and bird blind! #CondorWeek