The HPAI bird flu has claimed the lives of 21 California Condors from the Arizona-Utah flock since the outbreak began in late March. In response to this threat, the US Department of Agriculture greenlit a vaccination program on May 16th, marking a crucial effort to prevent further loss of the world’s most endangered bird species. A special task force assembled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in cooperation with local environmental organizations, is responsible for carrying out the vaccination process and implementing additional preventative measures to curb the continuation of this outbreak.

The safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, originally formulated for commercial poultry flocks, remain uncertain when applied to wild bird species. “Since the vaccine has not previously been tested against this strain of the virus in these species, the first step in the vaccination program is a pilot safety study in North American vultures, a similar species, to investigate if there are any adverse effects before giving the vaccine to the endangered condors,” explains the US Fish and Wildlife Service in a recent update.

Five condors are currently in quarantine and are receiving care at Liberty Wildlife Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona — three of which have tested positive for HPAI. However, the infection rate has diminished over the last month. The Peregrine Fund, a conservation group coordinating closely with government agencies to mitigate further spread, announced that their “field teams have not detected any additional compromised California Condors in northern Arizona since April 11.”

While monitoring the regional condor population and overseeing care for hospitalized birds, environmental organizations have also suspended the routine practice of providing shared food and water sources for the condors. “They’re communal birds. They eat and drink together,” a ranger from the Zion National Park Service mentioned as I peered through binoculars toward a condor cave nest. “They’re removing those feeding sites to discourage congregation.”

Though teetering on the brink of extinction in the 80s, when numbers dropped to a mere 23, the California Condor is making a gradual recovery. The National Park Service now estimates that 347 of these majestic birds of prey, boasting wingspans up to 9.5 feet, remain in the wild. This devastating loss, representing 17% of the Southwest flock’s population and 5% of the total wild population, underscores the heightened importance of conservation initiatives for this critically endangered species.

In spite of the challenges faced by California Condors, the future holds promise. The Peregrine Fund, speaking on this year’s captive breeding program, optimistically notes, “Of 18 eggs laid, nine young have hatched. A new season for the recovery effort begins.”