1. Alekseev, A. I. 1987.
The odyssey of a Russian scientist: I. G. Voznesenskii in Alaska,
California and Siberia 1839-1849. Kingston, Ontario, Canada: The
Limestone Press. 139 pages.
COMMENT: I. G. Voznesenskii collected at least four California
condor specimens in California, as well as a condor skin used
in a Native American ceremony and one or more capes made of condor
and eagle feathers. This publication does not give details of
Voznesenskii's collecting activities, but gives a good chronology
of where he was at various times (which helps identify where condor
specimens were collected). He sailed from Sitka 7 July 1840 on
the "Elena," landing at Bodega Bay 20 July 1840. He
was at Bodega Bay until 30 July 1840, when he left for Fort Ross.
He collected intensively over the next couple months, making a
long trip to Cape Mendocino and back in September or early October,
and in October 1840 sent 10 crates of California biological and
ethnological specimens to Russia on the "Nicolai I"
headed from San Francisco to Sitka. On 23 October 1840 he rode
horseback to San Rafael, then canoed to San Francisco. Between
October 1840 and mid February 1841, he visited all parts of the
San Francisco Bay area. On 20 February 1841 he went by boat to
Sutter's Fort, and explored and collected in the vicinity until
2 April 1841. [While at Sutter's Fort, he acquired a condor feather
cape.] He returned to San Francisco, and on 11 April 1841 he rode
horseback from San Rafael back to Fort Ross. He and A. G. Rotchev
collected many birds around Fort Ross. In May and June 1841, he
traveled the entire length of the Russian River, and on 16 June
1841 made the first ascent of Mt. St. Helens. In July 1841, Fort
Ross was sold and all the Russians moved back to Bodega Bay. Voznesenskii
continued exploring and collecting from there until he sailed
for Sitka 5 September 1841.
See also References 7 and 12.
2. Anonymous. 1854.
[Museum accession notes.] Proceedings California Academy of Sciences
1:70-71.
A. C. Taylor donated to the Academy condor feathers, collected
"in the vicinity of the Red Woods of Contra Costa."
COMMENT: The "Red Woods of Contra Costa" would place
this collection site in the hills behind Oakland or Berkeley,
California, and might indicate a regular roost or even a nest
location.
3. Audubon, J. J. 1839.
Ornithological Biography, Volume 5, pp. 240-245.
"Of the three species of Vulture which inhabit the southern
parts of North America, this is so much superior in size to the
rest that it bears to them the same proportion as a Golden Eagle
to a Goshawk. It inhabits the valleys and plains of the western
slope of the continent, and has not been observed to the eastward
of the Rocky Mountains. Mr. [John Kirk] Townsend, who has had
opportunities of observing it, has favoured me with the following
account of its habits.
'The Californian Vulture inhabits the region of the Columbia river,
to the distance of five hundred miles from its mouth, and is most
abundant in spring, at which season it feeds on the dead salmon
that are thrown upon the shores in great numbers. It is also often
met with near the Indian villages, being attracted by the offal
of the fish thrown around the habitations. It associates with
Cathartes Aura, but is easily distinguished from that species
in flight, both by its greater size and the more abrupt curvature
of its wing. The Indians, whose observations may generally be
depended upon, say that it ascertains the presence of food solely
by its power of vision, thus corroborating your own remarks on
the vulture tribe generally. On the upper waters of the Columbia
the fish intended for winter store are usually deposited in huts
made of the branches of trees interlaced. I have frequently seen
the Ravens attempt to effect a lodgement in these deposits, but
have never known the Vulture to be engaged in this way, although
these birds were numerous in the immediate vicinity.'
"In a subsequent notice, he continues: 'I have never seen
the eggs of the Californian Vulture. The Indians of the Columbia
say that it breeds on the ground, fixing its nest in swamps under
the pine forests, chiefly in the Alpine country. The Wallammet
[i.e., Willamette] Mountains, seventy or eighty miles south of
the Columbia, are said to be its favourite places of resort. I
have never visited the mountains at that season, and therefore
cannot speak from my own knowledge. It is seen on the Columbia
only in summer, appearing about the first of June, and retiring,
probably to the mountains, about the end of August. It is particularly
attached to the vicinity of cascades and falls, being attracted
by the dead salmon which strew the shores in such places. The
salmon, in their attempts to leap over the obstruction, become
exhausted, and are cast up on the beaches in great numbers. Thither,
therefore, resort all the unclean birds of the country, such as
the present species, the Turkey-Buzzard, and the Raven. The Californian
Vulture cannot, however, be called a plentiful species, as even
in the situations mentioned it is rare to see more than two or
three at a time, and these so shy as not to allow an approach
to within a hundred yards, unless by stratagem. Although I have
frequently seen this bird I have never heard it utter any sound.
The eggs I have never seen, nor have I had any account of them
that I could depend upon.
'In a former letter you ask me, What is the color of the eyes?
Do they attack living animals? Do they feed on reptiles, fishes,
or what? Where do they roost? Do they carry the tail upwards while
walking? Are they pugnacious? What is their manner of flight,
&c? The color of the eye is dark hazel. I have never heard
of them attacking living animals. Their food while on the Columbia
is fish almost exclusively, as in the neighbourhood of the rapids
and falls it is always in abundance; they also, like other Vultures,
feed on dead animals. I once saw two near Fort Vancouver feeding
on the carcass of a pig that had died. I have not seen them at
roost. In walking they resemble a Turkey, strutting over the ground
with great dignity; but this dignity is occasionally lost sight
of, especially when two are striving to reach a dead fish, which
has just been cast on the shore; the stately walk then degenerates
into a clumsy sort of hopping canter, which is any thing but graceful.
When about to rise, they always hop or run for several yards,
in order to give an impetus to their heavy body, in this resembling
the Condor of South America, whose well known habit furnishes
the natives with an easy mode of capturing him by means of a narrow
pen, in which a dead carcass has been deposited. If I should return
to the Columbia, I will try this method of taking the Vulture,
and I am satisfied that it would be successful.'"
COMMENT: In his comments to Audubon, John K. Townsend contradicts
himself regarding the seasonal status of condors on the Columbia
River, noting that they are "seen on the Columbia only in
summer, appearing about the first of June," but also that
they are "most abundant in the spring." Townsend's only
specific record is from April [Reference 73]: "This is the
only specimen I was ever able to procure; for although, during
the spring, I constantly saw the Vultures at all points where
the Salmon were cast upon the shore, their extreme shyness uniformly
prevented an approach to within gun-shot."
Townsend is certainly incorrect in his statement to Audubon that
"the Californian Vulture inhabits the region of the Columbia
river, to the distance of five hundred miles from its mouth."
Only two certain records are from greater than 150 miles from
the mouth of the Columbia.
4. Banks, R. C. 1971.
Data on condor specimens in the National Museum (letter to Sanford
R. Wilbur).
On 28 January 1971, Dick Banks (Chief, Bird and Mammal Laboratories)
provided a description of all California condor material in the
Museum collections. Among the records was the following:
"78005 in ink on a Smithsonian label. In pencil: =2717 and
=73053. Attached by a paper clip is a large label (7 _ x 1 inches)
that reads Cathartes californianus (Lath.) Ranz. N. 2717.
Columbia River. J. K. T. There is nothing on the back of this
label. Attached to this label and the routine specimen label is
a note written in pencil: 'This label found among a lot of old
bones and skulls. The skin may have been converted into an osteological
one.' This specimen is a juv."
COMMENT: This is almost certainly a label from the only condor
specimen known to have been collected by John Kirk Townsend: April
1835 near Willamette Falls, Oregon.
5. Barrett, S. A. 1908.
The ethno-geography of the Pomo and neighboring tribes. University
of California Publications in American Archeology and Ethnology
6(1).
Pages 13-14, Fauna of the area: While this region has been settled
by the whites so long that little idea may be had from observation
concerning the abundance and variety of game which the Indian
formerly counted as a resource, there are still areas where deer
are fairly plentiful and where a mountain lion or black bear is
occasionally found. Since the coming of firearms, the elk, formerly
very plentiful, and the grizzly, the only animal much feared by
the Indians, have entirely disappeared. Though the larger wolf
has also
disappeared the coyote has not. This interesting character of
Indian mythology is still present, though in diminished numbers.
The lynx is still found frequently. Smaller animals such as raccoons,
civets, rabbits, squirrels, and others are also abundant. Water
mammals have almost all disappeared.
Among the birds which are of importance to the Indians, the two
species of so-called quail, the valley quail, Lophortyx Californicus;
and the mountain quail, Oreortyx pictus, are among
the first. Another is the California woodpecker, Melanerpes
formicivorus. These three species are common throughout the
region. Along the coast there occur the usual species of water
birds, and certain of these, such as ducks, herons, loons, and
others, are found in greater or less numbers about Clear lake
throughout the year. Various hawks and the turkey buzzard are
common throughout the region, and in former times the condor,
or California vulture, was also to be found. The various species
of smaller
birds are yet plentiful.
Linguistics: The Pomo word for condor in six districts was sÛl,
ÌsÛl in the Southwest, and hÛlsÛrÛ-ka
in the Northeast. In the Moquelumnan, Yuki, in the West, South
and North it is mÔlok; in the Wappo, tsÛts; and in
the Huchnom and Yuki, pal. There is no word for condor in the
Coast Moquelumnan.
In the Wintun languages, condor is molok, mÔlÔk, or
mÛl.
There is an old Pomo campsite in the Valley Division, a mile north
of McDonald (Hopland area), that was called sÛlmÔ;
that is, "condor hole."
COMMENT: These comments indicate that the California condor was
well-known to the Pomo of Mendocino, Sonoma and Lake counties,
California. The identification of a site called "condor hole"
conjures up questions about condor nesting in the area.
6. Barrett, S. A. 1952.
Material aspects of Pomo culture. Bulletin of the Public Museum
of the City of Milwaukee, Volume 20, Part I.
Pp. 33-34, the word for condor in the Southeastern Dialect area
of the Pomos is sÛl. Also, citing Gifford and Kroeber 1937
(Univ. Calif. Publ. Amer. Archeol. Ethnol 37:117-254): sul, Central
Dialect; istun, and ihsun, in Southern Dialect. Loeb 1926 (Univ.
Calif. Publ. Amer. Archeol. Ethnol. 19:149-405) gives sul as the
word for condor in the Central Dialect.
P. 101: "The California condor was the largest bird in the
region, but even in ancient times it was very rare. Statements
differ regarding the methods of taking these birds. Some informants
maintained that they were snared, using carrion as bait. Some
stated that they were shot with bow and arrow, but that they were
so hard to kill that only when they were hit in the head could
they be taken. One informant stated that the young were taken
from the nest and reared in captivity. Another informant stated
that no pets or captive creatures of any kind were ever kept by
the Pomo, which is certainly incorrect.
"The condor was never used for food. Its chief use was in
supplying feathers and down both of which were utilized in making
certain articles of ceremonial apparel. Chief among these was
the ceremonial skirt in which the long feathers of the wings and
tail were used. The condor was so very large that when its whole
skin was dried with the wings outstretched it would completely
cover a man. Such costumes were used in certain ceremonies.
"The bones, particularly those of the wings, were used in
making whistles and ear ornaments.
"The fat taken from the abdominal cavity of the condor was
used as a medicine. One informant stated that he knew of a case
in which smallpox was cured by the use of this remedy.
"The buzzard or turkey vulture was very much more common
than the condor. Its flesh was never used but its larger feathers
were much employed in making articles of ceremonial apparel."
P. 111, among the food taboos of the Pomo was the condor. It was
never eaten because it was considered "a great doctor."
P. 133, capturing techniques: "The bow and arrow was used
not only for hunting game where stalking was necessary, but also
for shooting from a blind. The blind was a small brush shelter
from which the hunter could shoot through one or more loopholes.
In taking such large birds as vultures and eagles, a suitable
bait was placed in front of the blind to attract the birds."
Pp. 140, 147, capturing techniques: "The toggle hook or gorge
hook was used to a very limited extent in taking some of the larger
species of land birds, such as the condor (The toggle hook) consisted
of a small, straight bone sharpened at either end. It was about
an inch and a half or two inches in length and had a short line
attached to its middle It was baited When the bird had swallowed
the bait (and pulled on the line, the hook imbedded itself, and
the line kept the bird from flying away)."
COMMENT: Although the condor was considered "very rare"
in Sonoma and Mendocino counties, California, even "in ancient
times," the rest of the record indicates regular contact
with the species. The possibility of local nesting is suggested
by the remembrance of young condors being taken from the nest
and raised in captivity.
7. Bates, C. D. 1983.
The California Collection of I.G.Voznesenski. American Indian
Art 8(3):36-41, 79.
"In 1840 and 1841, the Russian-American Company's ship Nikolai
made repeated voyages between California and Alaska Packed
in wooden crates by the young scientist I. G. Voznesenski, were
artifacts that represented the material culture and wealth of
the native people of central California. Among the cargo was a
variety of ceremonial regalia including a cloak of condor feathers,
woven belts decorated with beads and feathers feathered capes
and headgear a woven feather robe This collection eventually made
its way to Leningrad."
"Ivan Gavrilovich Voznesenski was born in 1816 in St. Petersburg.
The son of an employee of the Academy of Sciences, he received
no formal education beyond the elementary level, and at the young
age of eleven was placed as an apprentice at the Zoological Museum
in the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. In 1829 he accompanied
a scientific expedition to the Caucasus and Transcaucasia and,
upon his return, he was assigned as an apprentice to the curator
of the Academy. In 1834, at the age of eighteen, he obtained the
position of laboratory assistant at the Academy's Zoological Museum."
"A report presented at the Conference of Academy of Sciences
in St. Petersburg in 1839 told of the necessity of dispatching
a naturalist to the Russian colonies on the Northwest Coast of
America to assemble zoological and botanical collections. In August
of that year the conference selected Voznesenski as the naturalist,
and charged him with the additional duties of obtaining artifacts
from the native people to add to the Ethnographic Museum of the
Kunstkammer of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences."
"After spending a month near Baranof Island, Voznesenski
sailed for California on July 7, 1840, aboard the Russian-American
Company's ship, the Helena. His collecting began upon arrival
in California, where he visited widely scattered points throughout
the central portion of the state such as Fort Ross, Bodega Bay,
Cape Mendocino, San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Jose, San Leandro,
San Pablo, Pinole, Napa, Petaluma, Sonoma and Sacramento. After
spending more than a year collecting in California, he left for
Alaska on September 5, 1841."
Apparently few notes or specimen records exist for Voznesenski's
work, but there are a few pertinent journal entries that show
where he was at certain times. For example: "On February
20 [1841], the long-awaited chance presented itself to
gofrom San Francisco up the Sacramento River to the property of
Captain Sutter, which he called 'New Helvetia.' I spent 31 days
on the then virginal banks of the Pele (as the local Indians call
it) Accompanying Mr. Sutter around his land, which the Mexican
government had just ceded to him, we reached the Monte des Trois
Buttes, crossed the (now) gold bearing rivers Rio de la Plume
and Tio Kiski en des Americaine a few times and spent the nights
along their banks."
"No doubt Sutter's power was crucial in Voznesenski's
obtaining objects that would have been otherwise difficult to
secure. Two unique objects, one an enveloping cloak of crow (Corvus
brachyrhynchos) feathers, the other the skin of a California
condor (Gymnogyps californianus) are extremely rare in
ethnographic collections, and are among the most supernaturally
powerful items from a native standpoint. Voznesenski relates:
'When I brought the mollok and kukshui costumes to the Sacramento
River, the Indians who saw them were terrified and were astonished
that I could keep such a thing in my room ' A study of the
terms used to describe these ceremonial garments - molok and
kukshui - helps us to narrow the possible place of collection
of the two pieces The word molok associated with an entire
skin of the condor used in a dance honoring the bird is found
among the Valley Nisenan at the village of Pujune which
is only two miles distant from the village of Seku that
Voznesenski visited and even closer to Sutter's home. Data for
neighboring Plains Miwok people's dances is lacking; but their
Sierran relatives, the Central Miwok, used an entire condor skin
in the moloku, a dance honoring the condor which suggests
that the intervening Plains Miwok could have had a similar dance."
"Other objects in the collection include a feather dance
cape made primarily of California condor feathers, with the entire
tail of a golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) attached to
the tie cord This piece is similar to those produced by a variety
of California peoples and bears no distinguishing characteristics
with which to ascribe a specific tribal origin."
The article has photographs of both the condor-eagle feather cape,
and the condor dance skin.
COMMENT: see also References 1 and 11. I have records of Voznesenski
collecting four condor specimens, two of which were definitely
from what is now Sonoma County, California. I have assumed that
all four skins came from Sonoma County, but this record showing
that Voznesneski apparently acquired a condor ceremonial skin
("molok") near Sacramento raises the possibility that
one or more of his condor specimens came from the Sacramento Valley,
as well.
8. Belding, L. 1878. Letter from Lyman Belding to Robert Ridgway,
21 March 1878 (copy in Smithsonian Institution Archives).
Belding wrote to Ridgway about a number of ornithological topics.
In part, the letter reads: "I have never shot a Cal Condor,
have seen a few along Feather River in former years & a few
in Mendocino Co."
COMMENT: The Feather River records are probably the same as the
Yuba County sightings in Reference 9. It would be fascinating
to know where in Mendocino County Belding saw condors. Although
Native Americans in Mendocino County were well acquainted with
condors, this is one of only two Caucasian reports for the county
(see also Reference 18).
9. Belding, L. 1879.
A partial list of the birds of central California. Proceedings
U. S. National Museum 1:388-449.
Belding described the California condor as "very rare"
in the Sacramento Valley, but seen on two or three occasions in
Yuba County, California, in the winter.
COMMENT: These observations were probably the same as those from
the Feather River, Reference 8.
10. Belding, L. 1890.
Land birds of the Pacific district. Occasional Papers, California
Academy of Sciences 2:1-274.
Quotes William Proud as noting that California condors are sometimes
seen near Chico, Butte County, California.
COMMENT: I haven't been able to find anything more specific regarding
the Proud records. He was an early and long-term resident of the
area.
11. Blake, E. R. 1971.
California condor specimens in the Chicago Field Museum collection
(materials sent to Sanford R. Wilbur 26 January 1971 and 24 March
1971).
Condor specimen #39613 was shot in the mountains north of San
Francisco, Marin County, California, between 1900-1905. The Museum
purchased it from the Northwestern School of Taxidermy, Omaha,
Nebraska, in September 1910. The collector is unnamed in their
files.
COMMENT: This is one of the most recent dates for a condor north
of San Francisco. I haven't been able to identify the collector
or the month of collecting.
Specimen record #2909, two California condor eggs collected July
1879 in Santa Cruz County, California by W. A. Cooper. The eggs
were donated to the Museum 28 September 1943 by R. M. Barnes (assession
number 7534).
COMMENT: In the "Nidiologist" in 1895 [3(4-5):42], H.
R. Taylor referred to two eggs taken in 1879 that were "in
possession of a gentleman in California." No location data
were given, but this note likely refers to the Chicago Field Museum
eggs. Carl Koford (Reference 43, pages 11 and 139) was skeptical
of the collecting locality, although he gave no reason. Perhaps
he equated it with the (certainly erroneous) record of two condor
eggs in the same nest in a redwood tree [G. F. Breninger, in H.
R. Taylor, Nidiologist 1895, 2(6):73-79]. There seems to be no
reason to discount the record, which is the farthest north certain
record for condor nesting.
12. Blomkvist, E. E. 1972. A Russian Scientific Expedition to
California & Alaska 1839-1849, The Drawings of I. G. Voznesenski."
Oregon Historical Quarterly 73 (2):100-170.
COMMENT: As the title implies, the article is mostly about Voznesenski's
drawings, but it also gives dates for when Voznesenski was at
various places in California (which helps identify where and when
he collected condors).
1 July 1840, left Sitka, Alaska, aboard the "Elena,"
arrived at Bodega Bay ca 13 July 1840. Spent 13 July to 1 August
1840 at Bodega Bay, then moved to Fort Ross. While at Fort Ross,
he made a trip north to Cape Mendocino. On 13 November 1840 he
was in San Francisco, and was around San Francisco Bay until April
1841, when he returned to Fort Ross. [NOTE: this article doesn't
say it, but part of the time he was in the San Francisco Bay area,
he was actually at Sacramento.] In May and June 1841 he explored
the Russian River, and was with the first party to climb Mt St.
Helena. The Fort Ross settlement was sold in July 1841, and all
the Russians moved back to Bodega Bay. He sailed back on Sitka
beginning 5 September 1841. [NOTE: the dates are slightly different
than those given by Alekseev 1987 (Reference 1), the latter probably
being more accurate.]
13. Bright, W., and
S. Gehr. 2005. Karuk dictionary. Karuk Tribe of California.
( http://corpus.linguistics.berkeley.edu/~karuk/karuk-lexicon.xml?
)
Karuk word for California condor: achvivhaam ("big bird")
COMMENT: The Karuk lived in western Siskiyou County, California,
near the Klamath River drainage.
14. Brodkorb, P. 1964l.
Catalogue of fossil birds. Part 2, Anseriformes through Galliformes.
Bulletin of Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences 8(3):195-335.
Pages 250-258, summary of fossil evidence of condors. There are
cave deposits from the Upper Pleistocene in Shasta County, California
(Samwell Cave, and Potter [Stone Man] Cave), presumed to be Gymnogyps
amplus, the Pleistocene counterpart of the California condor.
Prehistoric sites for G. californianus included Brookings
[Reference 54] and Five Mile Rapids [References 35 and 56] in
Oregon, and Emeryville, California.
COMMENT: These prehistoric sites of condors are discussed in other
references.
15. Brooks, A., and
H. S. Swarth. 1925. A distributional list of the birds of British
Columbia. Pacific Coast Avifauna Number 17.
Page 130, List of birds ascribed to British Columbia on unsatisfactory
grounds:
California Condor. Status: "Mouth of Fraser River. Seldom
visits the interior" (Lord 1866, vol. 2, p. 291). "In
September 1880 I saw two of these birds at Burrard Inlet. It is
more than probable they are accidental visitants here" (Fannin
1891, p. 22). "Seen on Lulu Island as late as 'three or four
years ago' by Mr. W. London. 'None seen since, used to be common'"
(Rhoads 1893d, p. 39). This species may once have ranged north
to the British Columbia boundary, but the above statements, the
only ones known to us bearing upon the case, are not conclusive
evidence.
COMMENT: The authors were right to be skeptical of most British
Columbia records, just because the reporters included so little
concrete information. However, taken as a group (references cited
in this paper, plus those of Douglas [Reference 22] and Tolmie
[Reference 71], it does appear that condors occasionally ranged
as far north as southern British Columbia
16. Bryant, W. E. 1891.
Andrew Jackson Grayson. Zoe 2(1):34-68.
"In the early days of California history it (the condor)
was more frequently met with than now, being of a cautious and
shy disposition the rapid settlement of the country has partially
driven it off to more secluded localities. I remember the time
when this vulture was much disliked by the hunter because of its
ravages upon any large game he may have killed and left exposed
for only a short length of time. So powerful is its sight that
it will discover a dead deer from an incredible distance while
soaring in the air. A case of this kind happened with myself while
living in the mountains of Marin County, California, in the year
1847. At that time my main dependence for meat wherewith to feed
my little family was my rifle. The hills and mountains there abounded
in deer and other game and it was not difficult to kill a deer
any day, but to kill a fat one could only be done by accident
or the acuteness of a skillful hunter in making such a selection.
A four-point buck in the month of July could always be depended
upon as savory venison with ribs and haunch covered with tallow.
One fine morning I shot a large and exceedingly fat buck of four
points, on the hills above my little cabin. Taking a survey of
the sky in every direction I could not discover a single vulture,
and, as my cabin was but a short distance from the spot, I concluded
not to cover my game as I could return with my horse to pack it
home before the vultures would be likely to trouble it. But for
this lack of caution I was doomed, as in many other events in
my life, to disappointment. I was gone about two hours, when,
on returning, I found my game surrounded and covered by a flock
of at least a dozen vultures, and others still coming. Some so
far up in the heavens as to appear like a small black speck upon
the clear blue sky. So busy were they, tearing and devouring the
deer and fighting among themselves that I approached quite near
before they saw me, when all arose, some flying a short distance
and perching upon the rocks and sides of the hill, while others
less gorged were sailing around taking a bird's-eye view of the
half consumed deer and my chagrin."
COMMENT: This July 1847 record of more than a dozen condors together
in Marin County, California, indicates a good-sized local population
north of San Francisco. At that time of year, they could have
been non-breeders ranging north. However, the location is almost
100 miles from the closest known condor nesting area, and is geographically
cut off from much of the foraging area to the south by the vast
expanse of San Francisco Bay.
17. Cassin, J. 1858.
United States exploring expedition during the years 1838-1842
under the command of Charles Wilkes, U. S. N. Vol. VIII. Mammalogy
and ornithology. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott and Co.
Condors seen on the plains of the Willamette River, Oregon, but
"much more numerous in California."
COMMENT: Cassin was not on the Oregon part of the Wilkes Expedition;
this is almost certainly a repeat of Peale's observations [Reference
61].
18. Clarke, C. 1971.
Possible condor sighting in Mendocino County, California.
In a March 1971 letter to Sanford Wilbur, Miss Cecile Clarke of
the Clarke Memorial Museum (Eureka, California) wrote: "In
the fall of 1912, I saw one (California condor) flying south in
Kibesillah (Fort Bragg area, Mendocino County, California). I
did not know the bird, but I was up on eagles, hawks, turkey vultures,
etc.. (and so) I decided to find out. I asked everyone I knew
and finally a very old man told me that he had seen it. He said
it was the same old condor that goes north in the spring and south
in the fall."
COMMENT: Miss Clarke definitely knew condors at a later date,
as her museum housed two condors killed in Humboldt County around
1890 (see Reference 69), and had a general familiarity with other
soaring birds. The observation was in a very isolated area less
than 75 miles from the Humboldt County collection locations.
19. Clyman, J. 1926.
James Clyman, his diaries and reminiscences. California Historical
Society Quarterly 6(2):136-187.
Journal entry for 12 January 1845 (but not necessarily referring
to that date), condor recorded in "Oregon Territory."
COMMENT: I need to check this. I think it was just a general reference,
not Clyman's own observation.
Page 182: Napper Creek, California, August 16, 1845. We had rare
sport shooting deer Bringing in nine skins in the Evening the
most of the meat being left on the ground for the wolves and vultures
and of the latter the country seems to be remarkably well stocked.
Beside the raven and Turkey Buzzard of the states you see here
the royal vulture in greate abundance frequently measuring Fourteen
feet from the extremity of one wing to the extremity of the other.
Page 183: September 8, 1845. Killed five deer one large grizzeled
bear one Royal vulture this is the largest fowl I have yet seen
measuring when full grown full 14 feet from the extremity of one
wing to the extremity of the other Like all the vulture tribe
this fowl feeds on dead carcases but like the bald Eagle prefers
his meat fresh and unputrefied they seem [to] hover over the mountains
in greate numbers and are never at least fault for their prey
but move directly and rapidly to the carcase cutting the wind
with their wings and creating a Buzzing sound which may [be] heard
at a miles distance and making one or two curves they immediately
alight and commense glutting.
COMMENT: These observations in Napa County, California, in August
and September 1845 were made not far from the July 1847 Marin
County sightings of Grayson [Reference 16]. Even allowing for
a little exaggeration in the description of condors "in greate
abundance," they lend more credibility to a fairly large
local population. As I noted in Reference 16, at that time of
year, those condors could have been non-breeders ranging north.
However, the location is almost 100 miles from the closest known
condor nesting area, and is geographically cut off from much of
the foraging area to the south by the vast expanse of San Francisco
Bay.
20. Cooper, J. G., and
G. Suckley. 1860. Report upon the birds collected on the Survey:
Land birds. In Explorations for a Route for the Pacific
Railroad Near the Forty-seventh and Forty-ninth Parallels, explored
by I. I. Stevens. Pacific Railroad Surveys.
Page 141: "The Californian vulture visits the Columbia river
in fall, when the shores are lined with great numbers of dead
salmon, on which this and other vultures, besides crows, ravens,
and many quadupeds, feed for a couple months. While the expedition
was traveling near the upper Columbia, in the fall of 1853, I
saw none of this species, though turkey buzzards were common,
and I concluded that these did not extend their wanderings eastward
of the Cascade mountains. On our return to Vancouver, November
18, none were seen there, and the rainy season had set in. I supposed
they had retired south. In January, 1854, I saw, during a very
cold period, a bird which I took for this, from its great size,
peculiar flight, and long bare neck which it stretched out as
it sat on a high dead tree During several voyages on the Columbia,
in summer and spring, as well as a long residence near its mouth,
I never again saw this bird, and must consider it only a visitor
at certain seasons, and not a resident even during summer. Townsend
supposed he saw its nest along the Columbia, but did not examine
them, and was probably mistaken. I neither saw nor heard of its
occurrence at Puget Sound.-C(ooper)"
"The Californian vulture, according to Nuttall (see Manual,
2nd. Ed.) is a summer resident of Oregon; Townsend and Audubon
also speak of its occurrence there. It was my misfortune to be
absent from the main salmon fisheries at the annual period, when
this bird is said to be abundant, and I was therefore unable to
obtain, or even see, a single individual--S(uckley)."
COMMENT: Dates and areas traveled are not always easy to pick
out of the many reports of the Railroad Surveys. Cooper and Suckley
were on the Columbia River at Fort Vancouver 24 July 1853. They
worked north from Vancouver, crossed the Cascades south of Mt.
St. Helens 5 August 1853, continued around Mt. Adams, and down
into the Columbia Basin. They visited areas around Yakima, Fort
Colville, and Spokane, before returning south to Walla Walla,
Washington, then back down the Columbia River to Fort Vancouver
in November 1853. Apparently they were around Fort Vancouver into
December 1853.
The failure to see condors (except for Cooper's one probable bird
near Fort Vancouver in January) may be attributed to them spending
most of their time east of the Cascades. They were in eastern
Washington through August, September, and October - the time period
when one might expect to find larger congregations of non-breeding
condors - yet saw no sign of them. Douglas [References 22 and
23] and Townsend [References 73 and 74] also spent considerable
time east of the Cascades, and failed to see any condors, suggesting
to me that the few incidental records of condors in the intermountain
area represented occasional birds wandering from the west.
All of Cooper's and Suckley's comments on distribution are from
other sources, most of them second-hand. I don't think any of
them should be considered authoritative.
21. Coues, E. (editor)
1897. The manuscript journals of Alexander Henry and of David
Thompson, 1799-1814. New York: Francis P. Harper
Page 808, 19 January 1814, on the Columbia River near present-day
Cascade Locks, Oregon: "some extraordinarily large vultures
[Pseudogryphus californianus added by editor] were hovering
over camp."
Page 817, 25 January 1814, on the Willamette River, Oregon, probably
near the mouth of Pudding River: "I sent for the eight deer
killed yesterday. The men brought in seven of them, one having
been devoured by the vultures [Pseudogryphus californianus
added by editor]. These birds are uncommonly large and very
troublesome to my hunters by destroying the meat, which, though
well covered with pine branches, they contrive to uncover and
devour."
COMMENT: Mid-winter records of condors in northern Oregon; no
numbers are given, but both entries sound like they were talking
about more than one or two condors.
22. Douglas, D. 1829.
Observations on the Vultur californianus of Shaw. Zoological
Journal 4(1):328-330.
Most of this article is misinformation supplied to David Douglas
(a noted and respected naturalist) by a (obviously waggish) voyageur.
Perhaps the most famous, and preposterous, of the stories involved
condor nesting: "They build their nests in the most secret
and impenetrable parts of the pine forests, invariably selecting
the loftiest trees that overhang precipices on the deepest and
least accessible parts of the mountain vallies. The nest is large,
composed of strong thorny twigs and grass, in every way similar
to that of the eagle tribe, but more slovenly constructed... Eggs
two, nearly spherical, about the size of those of a goose, jet
black..." Similarly, and likely from the same source:
"Preceding hurricanes or thunder-storms they are seen
most numerous and fly the highest." This one doesn't
even pass a "weather test," since hurricanes are unknown
in Oregon, and thunderstorms are uncommon in the areas known to
have supported condors.
Not all of Douglas' information is incorrect, and nowadays it
is relatively easy to separate fact from fiction. He saw condors
himself [Reference 23]; in fact, collected two specimens. His
paper therefore starts out with meticulous data on weights, measurements,
and plumage characteristics of the two birds he examined. He saw
condors flying and feeding, and gave reasonable descriptions of
these activities. He reported seeing condors as far north as the
49th Parallel (the border between Washington and Canada) "in
the summer and autumn months," but noted that they were most
common along the lower Columbia River "between the Grand
Rapids and the sea."
COMMENT: Douglas' itinerary [condensed from: Hall, F. W. (1933).
"Studies of the history of ornithology in the State of Washington.
Part III, David Douglas." Murrelet 15(1): 3-19] is helpful
in determining where and when he did and didn't see condors.
First trip 1825-1826:
--7 April 1825, Douglas and John Scouler arrived at the mouth
of the Columbia River
--April to 1 June 1825 Douglas and Scouler spent their time on
and near the Columbia River from Fort Vancouver to the coast
--1 June 1825 to 20 March 1826, Douglas headquartered at Fort
Vancouver; he spent considerable time there, and also made excursions
along the Columbia River from Celilo to the mouth; at Astoria;
around Willapa Bay and Gray's Harbor; up the Chehalis River; and
60 miles up the Willamette River.
--20 March 1826 Douglas went up the Columbia River to Fort Okanagan,
Spokane (April 1826), Kettle Falls (April 1826); returned down
the Columbia to Walla Walla; three excursions to the Blue Mountains;
up the Snake River (June 1826); return to Spokane, Kettle Falls,
and Okanagan (July-August 1826); then back down the Columbia to
Fort Vancouver 30 August 1826.
--Fall 1826 up the Willamette Valley and over into the Umpqua
--Winter 1826-1827 around Fort Vancouver
--20 March 1827 began the trip east up the Columbia River; eventually
crossed the Rockies, up to Hudson Bay, and home to England October
1827.
Second trip 1830-
--May 1830 arrived back at Fort Vancouver, by ship
--May to December 1830 mainly in the interior Columbia Basin area
--22 December 1830 to October 1832, in California and the Hawaiian
Islands
--October 1832 to March 1833, around Fort Vancouver, with a trip
to Puget Sound in March 1833
--20 March 1833 to late June 1833, British Columbia
--June 1833 to November 1833, around Fort Vancouver
--November 1833 left the Northwest for Hawaii
As detailed in Reference 23, all Douglas' condor sightings during 1825 and 1826 were from west of the Cascades, although he spent late March through the end of August 1826 east of the mountains. He traveled east up the Columbia River on his way home in March and April 1827 without recording any condors. He was in the Columbia Basin again May to December 1830, but his journals were lost and no record exists of what he saw. His comment that he saw condors north to the 49th Parallel must have referred to the period March-June 1833 (apparently the only time he traveled that far north west of the Rocky Mountains), but any notes from that period were in his lost journals, also.
23. Douglas, D. 1914.
Journal kept by David Douglas during his travels in North America
1823-1827. London: William Wesley & Son.
- January-February 1826, Ft. Vancouver, Clark Co., Washington:
When opportunity favored I collected woods, and gathered Musci
&c., and from this time to March 20th I formed a tolerable
collection of preserved animals and birds, but this desirable
object was frequently interrupted by heavy rains. Among the birds
and animals deserve to be mentioned Tetrao Sabine, T. Richardsonii,
Sarcoramphus californica, Corvus Stelleri, an endless variety
of Anas, several species of Canis, Cervus, Mus, and
Myozus.
- January-February 1826 Ft. Vancouver, Clark County, Washington
- summarizing his late winter bird observations and collections
[see page 62, above]: On the Columbia there is a species of Buzzard,
the largest of all birds here, the Swan excepted. I killed only
one of this very interesting bird, with buckshot, one of which
passed through the head, which rendered it unfit for preserving;
I regret it exceedingly, for I am confident it is not yet described.
I have fired at them with every size of small shot at respectable
distances without effect; seldom more than one or two are together.
When they find a dead carcase or any putrid animal matter, so
gluttonous are they that they will eat until they can hardly walk
and have been killed with a stick. They are of the same colour
as the common small buzzard found in Canada, one of which was
sent home last October. Beak and legs bright yellow. The feathers
of the wing are highly prized by the Canadian voyageurs for making
tobacco pipe-stems. I am shortly to try to take them in a baited
steel-trap.
The variety of species of quadrupeds is not I think so great as
in many other parts of America. The Elk (which the hunters say
agrees with the Biche on the other side) is plentiful in all the
woody parts of the country; is particularly abundant near the
coast. Two species of Deer, one called by the hunters le Chevreuil
or Jumping Deer, is found in most parts of the Columbia; great
numbers are killed on the Multnomah or Willamette River, one of
its southern branches The other, the Black-tailed Deer, is not
so abundant as the former.
- 3 October 1826, upper Willamette Valley, probably present-day
Linn County, Oregon: The Large Buzzard, so common on the shores
of the Columbia, is also plentiful here; saw nine in one flock
- 10 or 11 October 1826,
watershed between the Willamette and Umpqua rivers, Oregon (south
of present day Eugene, Oregon): This morning we passed a hill
of similar elevation and appearance to that passed yesterday.
Several species of Clethra were gathered - one in particular,
C. grandis [sic], was very fine - and many birds of Sarcoramphus
californica and Ortyx californica, and two other species
of great beauty were collected. This part of the time was rainy,
ill-adapted for hunting. The last two days' march we descended
the banks of Red Deer River, which empties itself into the River
Arguilar or Umpqua, forty-three miles from the sea.
- February 1827, at Ft. Vancouver, Clark County, Washington, no
specific date given: Killed a very large vulture, sex unknown
[see Reference 26]. Obtained the following information concerning
this curious bird from Etienne Lucien, one of the hunters who
has had ample opportunity of observing them. They build their
nests in the thickest part of the forest, invariably choosing
the most secret and impenetrable situations and build on a pine-tree
a nest of dead sticks and grass; have only two young at a time;
egg very large (fully larger than a goose-egg), nearly a perfect
circle and of a uniform jet black. The period of incubation is
not exactly known; most likely the same as the eagle. They have
young in pairs. During the summer are seen in great numbers on
the woody part of the Columbia, from the ocean to the mountains
of Lewis and Clarke's River, four hundred miles in the interior.
In winter they are less abundant: I think they migrate to the
south, as great numbers were seen by myself on the Umpqua river,
and south of it by Mr. McLeod, whom I accompanied. Feeds on all
putrid animal matter and are so ravenous that they will eat until
they are unable to fly. Are very shy; can rarely get near enough
to kill them with buck-shot; readily taken with a steel trap.
Their flight is swift but steady, to appearance seldom moving
the wings; keep floating along with the points of the wings curved
upwards. Of a blackish-brown with a little white under the wing;
head of a deep orange colour; beak of a sulphur-yellow; neck,
a yellowish-brown varying in tinge like the common turkey-cock.
I have never heard them call except when fighting about food,
whey they jump trailing their wings on the ground, crying "Crup
Cra-a," something like a common crow.
COMMENT: See my notes on Reference 22 for details of Douglas'
travels while in the Pacific Northwest. I think it is noteworthy
that: (1) he recorded no condors during extensive travels east
of the Cascade Mountains; (2) he recorded condors on the Columbia
River only in winter, and in the Willamette-Umpqua area in October;
and (3) at both times of year, he used descriptive terms like
"so common," "plentiful," and "many,"
suggesting more than occasional sightings of a bird or two. One
of his October observations was on nine in one group.
24A. Fannin, J. 1891.
Check-list of British Columbia birds. Victoria, B. C.: Richard
Wolfenden.
"In September, 1880, I saw two of these birds at Burrard
Inlet. It is more than probable they are accidental visitants
here. Lord says: "Mouth of Eraser River. Seldom visits the
interior."
24. Fannin, J. 1897.
The California Vulture in Alberta. Auk 14(1):89.
On the 10th of September last (1896) I saw between Calgary and
the Rocky Mountains two fine speclmens of the California Vulture,
Pseudogryphus californianus. I was not aware that this bird was
found east of the Rocky Mountains, or so far north as the point
above mentioned.
COMMENT: This record has been disputed by just about everybody.
In a 6 March 1931 letter to W. L. Chambers, Alan Brooks claimed
that Fannin told him that the Alberta, Canada, condor sighting
was actually of immature golden eagles [letter in Chambers collection,
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley, California].
25. Finley, E. L (editor).
1937. History of Sonoma County, California: Its People and Its
Resources. Santa Rosa, California: The Press Democrat Publishing
Company.
Page 406. "Grizzly Bear Encounter: Shortly after William
Benitz acquired the Fort Ross property he took his rifle and set
up the mountain-side to try to kill one of several 'vultures or
California condors' perched on the dead limb of a pine tree, in
order to obtain the feathers, which he knew would be highly prized
by his Indian retainers. Keeping under cover of trees and shrubbery,
he managed to get fairly close to the huge birds and was seeking
a position from which he might get an unobstructed view when he
was startled by the breaking of a twig close at hand. What happened
is best described in his own language."
'One look,' asserted Benitz, 'was enough to set every hair of
my head on end! Not much over the length of my gun from me stood,
erect on his hind feet, a grizzly bear of monster size - at the
time he seemed to me ten feet tall! By impulse I wheeled, brought
my gun to a level, and without any attempt at taking aim, fired.
The bear pitched forward upon me and we fell together - my gun
flying out of my hands, and some distance away. I was frightened
beyond the power of language to express. The bear and I had fallen
together, but I had given myself a rolling lurch down the mountain-side,
which for a moment took me out of the reach of his dreaded jaws.
This advantage was not to be lost; and I kept going over and over
without any regard to elegance of posture, until I had got at
least 200 yards from where I fell; and when I stopped rolling
it was a problem to me which I was most, dead or alive.
'I ventured upon my feet and looked cautiously around, but could
see no grizzly. To borrow a miner's expression, "I began
prospecting around." I had an earnest desire to get hold
of my gun, but a dislike to the neighborhood in which we had parted
company. With the utmost caution I worked my way up to a position
overlooking the spot where I and the grizzly together fell. To
my surprise, and gratification as well, there lay the bear stretched
at full length, and dead. My random shot had proved what seldom
occurs to grizzly bears, a dead shot. That was the biggest scare
of my life.'"
COMMENT: This may be the incident alluded to in Reference 28.
"Shortly after" Benitz acquired the Fort Ross property
would be ca 1845-1846. No condor was killed in this incident,
but if Benitz was indeed helping local Native Americans acquire
feathers, he may have shot one or more about this time.
26. Finley, W. L. 1908.
Life History of the California Condor. Part II, Historical Data
and Range of the Condor. Condor 10(1):5-10.
"Dr. J. K. Townsend informed Audubon that 'The California
vulture inhabits
the region of the Columbia River to a distance of five hundred
miles from its mouth and is most abundant in spring, at which
season it feeds on the dead salmon that are thrown upon the shores
in great numbers. It is also met with near the Indian villages,
being attracted by the offal of the fish thrown around their habitations.'
He also stated: 'The California vultures cannot be called, however,
a plentiful species, as even in the situations mentioned, it is
rare to see more than two or three at a time, and these so shy
as not to allow an approach to within a hundred yards, unless
by stratagem. Although I have frequently seen this bird, I have
never heard it utter a sound. The eggs I have never seen, nor
have I had any account of them, that I could depend upon. I have
never heard of their attacking living animals. Their food while
on the Columbia is fish almost exclusively, as this food is always
found in great abundance near the falls and rapids-they also feed
on dead animals. At Fort Vancouver I saw two feeding on the carcass
of a pig.' Altho Townsend's statement is convincing, some people
have doubted the authenticity of this record, since no one has
since recorded the California condor in the region of the Columbia
River. Dr. Newberry, Dr. Suckley, and Dr. Cooper could find no
other records of the bird in Oregon.
"The most striking record on the present range of the California
condor is one from Douglas County in southern Oregon. This seems
very unusual, as we can find nothing else in recent years of the
bird living between the San Francisco region and this place, altho
it is a stretch of several hundred miles.
"The Oregon records were given by Mr. George Peck and his
son Mr. Henry Peck, who are both reliable ornithologists, and
who were both well acquainted with the bird in southern California.
Mr. Henry Peck informs me that on or about July 4, 1903, he and
his father saw two California condors at Drain, Douglass County,
Oregon. They were quite high in the air and were sailing about
over the mountains. The elder Mr. Peck saw them several times
after that. He states the birds were instantly recognized by both
of them. Again in March, 1904, Mr. Henry Peck writes, 'I saw four
condors which were very close to me, almost within gun shot. I
recognized them first by their size, and second by the white feathers
under their wings. The birds were all flying very low, as there
was a high wind blowing.' Mr. Peck also gives the record of a
condor that was killed on the coast of southern Oregon a number
of years ago.
"These records seem to show that if the California condor
was formerly found in the region of the Columbia river, the numbers
have decreased and the last of these northern birds seem to have
taken refuge in the rough mountain regions of southern Oregon,
while the range of the condor in California has contracted to
regions from Monterey County south thru the mountains of the Coast
Range and the extension of the San Bernardino Range into Lower
California."
COMMENT: As noted in my comments on Reference 3, Finley was right
to question some of Townsend's comments to Audubon. He had not
seen the specific records of Douglas, Peale, Townsend and others,
so was not aware that there were a number of records from the
Columbia River and other parts of northwest Oregon.
Finley's dates for the Douglas County sightings are somewhat different
than those given first-hand by George Peck [Reference 61].
27. Fleming, J. H. 1924.
The California Condor in Washington: Another Version of an Old
Record. Condor 26(3):111-112.
"When David Douglas, the great botanical collector, published
(Zool. Journal, IV, Jan., 1829, p. 328), his 'Observations on
Vultur Californianus of Shaw,' he referred to the range
of this bird north of California as follows: 'I have met with
them as far to the north as 49º N. latitude, in the summer
and autumn months, but nowhere so abundant as in the Columbia
Valley between the Grand Rapids and the sea.' Audubon (Ornith.
Biog., v, 1829, pp. 241-243) reprinted the paper, it was quoted
both in the Fauna Boreali-Americana of Swainson and Richardson
(vol. II, Birds, 1831, p. 1), and by Jameson in his edition of
Wilson (American Ornithology [Constable's Miscellany] iv, 1831,
pp. 259-261. It has been shown by Mathews and Iredale [Austral
Avian Record, v, 1923, pp. 67-69 that this volume was published
before volume II of the Fauna Boreali-Americana.) This record
by Douglas has remained the chief authority for 'formerly north
to Columbia River' of our Check-List.
"In the Canadian Naturalist and Geologist of 1860, there
is a very good life of Douglas by his friend George Barnston,
of the Hudson's Bay Company, in which (page 208), there is an
interesting reference to Douglas and a California Condor as follows
:
'The Spring of 1827 was severe, and much snow had fallen. The
consequence was that many horses died at Fort Vancouver, and we
were visited by the various species of beasts and birds of prey
that abound in that country. Most conspicuous among these were
the California vulture. This magnate of the air was ever hovering
around, wheeling in successive circles for a time, then changing
the wing as if wishing to describe the figure 8; the ends of the
pinions, when near enough to be seen, having a bend waving upwards,
all his movements, whether soaring or floating, ascending or descending,
were lines of beauty. In flight he is the most majestic bird I
have seen. One morning a large specimen was brought into our square,
and we had all a hearty laugh at the eagerness with which the
Botanist pounced upon it. In a very short time he had it almost
in his embraces fathoming its stretch of wings, which not being
able to compass, a measure was brought, and he found it full nine
feet from tip to tip. This satisfied him, and the bird was carefully
transferred to his studio for the purpose of being stuffed. In
all that pertained to nature or science he was a perfect enthusiast.
It has been frequently a matter of surprise how quickly these
birds collect when a large animal dies. None may be seen in any
direction, but in a few minutes after a horse or other large animal
gives up the ghost they may be descried like specks in the aether,
nearing by circles to their prey, when as yet one would not suppose
the effluvia from the carcase had reached above a hundred yards.
This renders it probable that their sight as well as sense of
smelling is very acute, but that the latter can guide them entirely
without aid from the other, I am certain, as I have started them
from carrion within the edge of the forest under bushes which
must have precluded the possibility of their seeing the carcase
before they alighted on it.'
"Douglas sent a pair of California Condors to London. He
gives the latitude
and longitude of Fort Vancouver as the locality where they were
taken. These were placed in the museum of the Zoological Society
where they presumably remained till the museum was broken up in
1855. They are not in the British Museum, and it would be interesting
to know if they still exist."
COMMENT: Douglas' mention of this event is given in Reference
23.
28. Fort Ross Interpretive
Association. 2001. Fort Ross. Fort Ross, California.
"Like most areas of our world, Fort Ross has lost bird species.
The California condor lived here well into the last century. Native
Americans valued its feathers, and William Benitz once reported
having shot one."
COMMENT: I haven't been able to find the original source of this
information, but it may be a misinterpreted allusion to Reference
25. William Benitz was caretaker at Fort Ross for John Sutter
in 1843; leased land from Sutter in 1845; stayed at Fort Ross
until 1873; then moved to Oakland and later Argentina.
29. Frazier, Henry H.
1971. Possible condors in Siskiyou County, California.
Henry H. Frazier, of Morro Bay, California, on 20 February 1971
told Sanford R. Wilbur about a possible northern California sighting
of condors. In the spring of 1925, on the divide west of Copco
Dam in Siskiyou County, Frazier saw six birds that he thought
were adult California condors. There was snow on the ground, and
the six birds were feeding on a dead cow. Mr. Frazier gave a good
description of condors.
COMMENT: This was 20 years later than the last generally accepted
record for condors in the Pacific Northwest, but this was a very
isolated area and only about 100 air miles from some late 1800s
condor records.
30. Gabrielson, I. N.,
and S. G. Jewett. 1940. Birds of the Pacific Northwest. Corvallis,
Oregon: Oregon State University.
Page 180, California Condor: "Lewis and Clark (1814) wrote
that the California Condor was 'not rare' near the mouth of the
Columbia, November 30, 1805, and January 2, 1806; that it was
abundant at Deer Island, March 28, 1806; and that it was seen
again in Oregon, April 4, 1806. Douglas (1828) shot a male and
female 'in latitude 45.30.15., longitude 122.3.12.,' which is
near Multnomah Falls. Townsend (1839) listed it for the territory.
Newberry (1857) reported it as 'rare and not seen by us.' Suckley
did not see it, although on a constant lookout for it; but Cooper
reported that in January 1854 he saw a bird that he was certain
was of this species (Cooper and Suckley 1860). He made a number
of trips up and down the Columbia in the 50s but found only the
one bird. Cooper stated:
'The Californian Vulture visits the Columbia river in fall, when
its shores are lined with great numbers of dead salmon, on which
this and other vultures, besides crows, ravens, and many quadrupeds,
feast for a couple months.'
"Barnston (1860) gave a detailed account of the capture of
a California Vulture at Fort Vancouver in the spring of 1827 and
told of the great joy with which Douglas received it. This interesting
bit of early history was later quoted by Fleming (1924).
"All the numerous subsequent references to the California
Vulture as an Oregon species rest on the observations of those
quoted above, except the account of Finley (1908), who referred
to two at Drain about July 4, 1903, and four in March 1904. These
birds were observed by George and Henry Peck, both familiar with
the species in California and both good ornithologists, who further
stated that one was killed on the coast of southern Oregon. It
is impossible that these observers, all keen and experienced naturalists,
could have been mistaken, but the condor, if ever common in this
State, seems to have become rare or almost completely extinct
between Douglas' visit and the time of the Pacific Railway Surveys.
Jewett has talked to several well-informed woodsmen who described
accurately to him condors seen in southern Oregon at about the
time of the Peck observation, and it seems highly probable that
two or more of these big birds strayed into southern Oregon, perhaps
to remain for some time."
COMMENT: This is a compilation of reports, which I have commented
on at their original sources. The one new piece of relevant information
is that "Jewett has talked to several well-informed woodsmen
who described accurately to him condors seen in southern Oregon
at about the time of the Peck observation."
31. Gifford, E. W.,
and G. H. Block. 1930. California Indian nights entertainments.
Glendale, California: Arthur H. Clark Co.
The Wiyot Indians of Humboldt County, California, identified Condor
in their myth of The Flood: he was a good influence, who was the
father of all men created after The Flood.
COMMENT: Another indication that the California condor was well-known
to Native Americans in northwestern California.
32. Goddard, P. E. 1929.
The Bear River dialect of Athapascan. Univ. Calif. Publ. Am. Archeol.
Ethnol. 24(5):291-324.
Humboldt County Native Americans may have had a name for the condor
- Yondiyauw = eats whale.
COMMENT: Another indication that the California condor was known
to Native Americans in northwestern California.
33. Grinnell, J., J.
Dixon and J. M. Linsdale. 1930. Vertebrate natural history of
a section of northern California through Lassen Peak. Berkeley:
University of California Press.
No California condors were seen during their surveys; they report
the earlier records of C. H. Townsend [Reference 73] and Newberry
[Reference 59].
34. Grinnell, J., and
M. W. Wythe. 1927. Directory of the Bird-life of the San Francisco
Bay Region. Pacific Coast Avifauna Number 18. Berkeley, California:
Cooper Ornithological Club.
"[California condor] does not occur anywhere in the Bay region
at the present time. The latest record of occurrence is for a
point in southern San Mateo County, some miles west of Stanford
University, known as 'Basaltic Columns.' Here one bird was seen
the latter part of January, 1904 (see W. K. Fisher, Condor, vi,
1904, p.50). There are older records for San Rafael, Marin County,
for Pescadero and Redwood City, San Mateo County, and for Los
Gatos and San Jose, Santa Clara County, all previous to 1880.
The species was 'common' in parts of San Mateo County in 1865
(C. Littlejohn, MS).
COMMENT: No reference is given for the Marin County record. It
may refer to the 1847 observations of Grayson [Reference 16],
the only pre-1880 record I have found for Marin County.
35. Gurney, J. H. 1894.
Catalogue of the birds of prey with the number of specimens in
Norwich Museum. London. 56pp.
The Museum had four condor skins, one skeleton, and one egg. "Lord
Walsingham has shot vultures a good bit north of Mendocino (northern
California), probably the rare Pseudogryphus (Gymnogyps) californianus."
COMMENT: None of the noted specimens came from the Pacific
Northwest. The statement about Lord Walsingham is tantalizing,
in that he traveled extensively in northern California and Oregon
in 1871-1872 [Reference 78]. However, I have been unable to find
any records of birds he might have seen or shot.
36. Hansel-Kuehn, V.
J. 2003. The Dalles Roadcut (Fivemile Rapids) Avifauna: Evidence
for a cultural origin. Master of Arts thesis, Washington State
University (Pullman, Washington).
"The Dalles Roadcut (35-WS-8/WS-4), or Fivemile Rapids as
it is also known, is an archaeological site on the Columbia River,
Oregon, which represents ten thousand years of continuous occupation.
Renowned for its vast early Holocene salmonid deposit, which previous
investigations have shown to be culltural, the Roadcut also contained
over 9,000 bird remains including scavenger and raptor species.
Questions concerning the origins of the Roadcut faunal remains
have often revolved around the presence of these species of birds,
necessitating a reinvestigation of the avifaunal collection. This
faunal analysis has identified two distinct patterns of butchery
present on 331 of the bird remains. The gulls and cormorants were
butchered for consumption while the Bald Eagles and California
Condors show evidence of feather harvesting. The Bald Eagles alone
show signs of talon removal. Bird bone artifact manufacturing
debris and 691 limb bone cylinders were found as well. Preserved
medullary bone was identified in 647 specimens placing occupation
of the site during the spring and early summer months. The Dalles
Roadcut avifauna date between 11,000 and 8,000 years BP."
COMMENT: Loye Miller [Reference 57] had written that prehistoric
California condor remains were "surprisingly abundant"
at Five Mile Rapids, but did not speculate on why so many condor
bones were present. This study appears to show that Native Americans
were purposely killing the condors ("feather harvesting")
along the Columbia River 10,000 years ago. Findings in the Hansel-Kuehn
paper that are particularly significant: (1) Miller estimated
that a minimum of 63 condors were represented by the bones recovered,
but the present researcher reduces that minimum to only 22 condors.
This is because Miller treated each "packet" of recovered
bones separately, not considering that the bones of an individual
condor might have ended up in several packets; Hansel-Kuehn treated
all recovered bones as a single sample. (2) None of the condor
bones examined was from an immature bird. (3) The suggestion of
feather removal from condor bones showed on 10 of 49 samples.
(4) There was one tube fragment and four bone cylinders from condor
materials.
37. Hansen, H. J., and
J. T. Miller. 1962. Wild oats in Eden: Sonoma County in the 19th
Century. Santa Rosa, California: privately published.
Page 20 has a photo of a full condor skin, labeled "Feather
mantle, perhaps the only California Indian mantle in existence."
The picture was supplied by the Museum of Athropology and Ethnography,
Moscow, and is displayed with drawings made by I. G. Vosnesenskii
at Fort Ross 1841.
38. Harrington, J. P.
Karuk Indian myths. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 107.
Pages 16-19. Two Brothers Go Target Shooting (paraphrased):
Two brothers went target shooting. Others came and ridiculed them.
"What can such poor fellows have come down here for? No one
shoots here unless they have a woodpecker scalp headband."
The boys went back home. The older one was so ashamed that he
cried for ten nights. But he had heard that anyone could get rich
if they went bathing in the Lake of the Place where the Person
Eats Himself. He decided that they should go off and find that
place. They walked a long way, with nothing to eat but acorns.
Finally, they saw the lake and went down to it. The water was
very black, and the younger brother was afraid of it. But the
older one said "I am not going to be afraid of
it." Then he said: "Come on, you must stay here. You
must stay here five nights. Though it be that you do not see me
any more, you must stay here. I'll come back."
The older brother jumped into the lake. When he jumped in, the
water rose and boiled up. After he disappeared, the younger brother
waited for five dawns, then went to the lake looking for his brother.
The lake level went down, and he found his brother lying among
the driftwood, as if he was dead. But he was alive, and the younger
brother fed him acorn soup, and he revived. They stayed at the
lake all day and night, then decided to go home.
As they began their journey home, they saw a white deer. They
had blowguns with them, and they shot the deer. Soon they saw
a black deer, which they shot. Later, they killed a red deer,
and then a gray deer. After that, they began to kill birds of
all kinds western pileated woodpecker, California woodpecker,
California condor, southern bald eagle, etc. Soon their load was
so heavy they couldn't walk.
When they reached home they were packing all kinds of birds on
their backs. When the people saw them coming, behold they were
packing all kinds of woodpecker scalps and all kinds of skins.
The people were surprised to see them, because they didn't think
the older one would return from the lake. Then the next day a
lot of people came there to challenge the boys to gamble at Indian
cards with them. They would not believe that
they had come back from a long way. Then they [the youths] said:
"All right." Then they started in to gamble, and soon
they had one a lot of property. They began to gamble every day,
being constantly challenged by new players. They soon had a house
full of all the property they had won, and then a second house
was full of the belongings they had won.
The next year they went down to target shoot. Their headbands
were solid woodpecker scarlet. The others there wouldn't speak
to them because they felt ashamed of themselves for having told
the boys: "You fellows will not shoot here without woodpecker
scalp headbands on."
Said the narrator: "The place where this occurred, Aftaram,
was a small rancheria. Two houses only were standing when I saw
it, and one sweathouse. And they say that the people there are
all extinct. They all died off, they were all rich people subsequent
to these youths. Those two were old when they died. My deceased
mother had seen two condor plumes from that time, that had been
the two youths' condor plumes."
COMMENT: The Karuk/Karok lived in western Siskiyou County, California,
in the Klamath River area. This is another story indicating that
the condor was well-known to them.
39. Harris, H. 1941.
The annals of Gymnogyps to 1900. Condor 43(1):3-55.
Most of the information on the Pacific Northwest that appears
in "the annals" is abstracted under the original references.
One interesting note from Harris relating to the occurrence of
condors in the Columbia River area: "As a further token of
its [condors] scarcity at that time, [J. K.] Townsend had met
on the river a Reverend Samuel Parker, a man of some ornithological
arts with whom he had discussed at length the birds of the region,
who during an extended stay failed to see the vulture."
Another note relative
to northern California specimens occurs on page 19: "When
in Europe in 1933 Mr. A. J. van Rossem was kind enough to look
up some Gymogyps matters then greatly perplexing the present writer,
and wrote from Paris on July 25, 1933: 'The only condor relics
to date (there is nothing at Rouen) are three birds here at the
Musee d'Histoire Naturelle. All three are mounted and in good
condition. Two adults are from the Bonaparte collection marked
simply "Californie, achete par 1'Etate en 1858". The
third is more interesting: it is in a plumage new to me, adult
as to body and wings, but the head and neck are covered with a
thin, buff-colored down, through which the yellowish skin shows
plainly. It is marked as "Acquis par exchange du Musee
St. Petersbourg en 1856." There is no indication as to the
source of the Bonaparte pair of adults, but the St. Petersburg
specimen possibly was taken by Pallas. I infer this by the fact
that there are several other birds here which were received in
exchange the same year from the same source. They are all by Pallas
from "Nord-Oest Cote d'Amerique."' A little later from
Berlin Mr. van Rossem wrote: 'Stresemann thinks it very probable
that the St. Petersburg specimen was taken by Bischoff's party.'
The compiler has thus far been unable to trace any reference in
the literature to an opportunity offered either of these collectors
to secure Gymnogyps in the field. It may be pointed out in this
connection that Rezanov, with his personal physician Langsdorff
(a naturalist), visited California in 1806, and that Kotzebue,
with Chamisso and Eschscholtz, made two voyages to this coast
between 1816 and 1824. None of the narratives of these voyages
mentions the large vulture, although other natural history notes
are included."
COMMENT: Harris didn't know about the extensive collecting done
by Vozenesenksi in northern California in 1840-1841 {References
1, 7, and 12], which might have been the source of the specimen
exchanged between St. Petersburg and Paris. If any of the other
Russians mentioned by Harris collected condors, I haven't found
the records yet.
40. Howard, H. 1929.
The avifauna of the Emeryville shellmound. University of California
Publications in Zoology 32(2):301-394.
The shellmound deposits are considered Recent, but exact age unknown.
There were 24 bone specimens from the California condor, apparently
all from the same bird.
COMMENT: Dwight Simons [Reference 69] believed that this bird
had been intentionally buried, perhaps as part of a ritual. The
bones are believed to be about 2500 years old.
40A. Jewett, S. C. (1941). [Condors in Curry County, Oregon]. From Carl Koford's notes for 11 April 1941 (at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley, California): He talked to Stanley Jewett, who was convinced of the truth of condors in Curry County, Oregon, around 1900. "One rancher had told him that after they started poisoning for varmints the vultures had disappeared but the condors did not. Jewett asked him what he meant by 'vulture' and the man gave an excellent condor description." COMMENT: Koford may have transcribed his interview with Jewett incorrectly. In context, it sounds like the rancher may have told him that the "vultures" (condors) disappeared, but the "buzzards" (turkey vultures) didn't.
41. Jewett, S. C., W.
P. Taylor, W. T. Shaw, and J. W. Aldrich. 1953. Birds of Washington
State. Seattle: University of Washington Press. 737 pages.
Page 166, Summary of Washington records, all but one cited elsewhere
in this review. "The last record of the species for the state
appears to be that of Dr. C. Hart Merriam (letter of January 4,
1921). In the early morning of September 30, 1897, Dr. Merriam
saw a condor on the ground in open country a few miles east of
Coulee City, Washington."
COMMENT: This is clearly an unusual condor sighting, but Merriam
certainly knew what California condors looked like.
42. Johnson, K. 1967.
The Gold Rush letters of J. D. B. Stillman. Palo Alto, California:
Lewis Osborne.
On 19 September 1849, on the Sacramento River a little north of
the mouth of the Feather River, Stillman wrote: "Just before
night, Mark shot a large bird in the top of a tree, which we thought
was a wild turkey. It was directly over our heads, and fell into
the water alongside the boat. It measured nine feet from tip to
tip of wings, and its head and neck were bare of feathers and
of a yellow color. It was of the vulture family, though we pronounced
it a 'golden eagle,' for want of a better name."
COMMENT: J. D. B. Stillman arrived at San Francisco, California,
in early August 1849. He was in San Francisco until September,
then went by boat up the Sacramento River to Sacramento. He left
Sacramento 15 September 1849, and boated up the river for several
days. Stillman was in the Sacramento Valley through August 1850,
but made no further comment on condors or other large birds.
43. Kermode, F. 1904.
Catalogue of British Columbia birds. Victoria, B. C.
Citing J. Fannin: "In September, 1880, I saw two of these
birds at Burrard Inlet. It is more than probable they are accidental
visitants here." From J. K. Lord: "Mouth of Fraser River;
seldom visits the Interior."
COMMENT: These are among the most often cited records of condors
in Canada; no further information is available on which to judge
their validity. As I have said elsewhere, there are enough of
these kind of records that it seems unlikely that all are misidentifications.
44. Koford, C. B. 1953.
The California condor. Research Report 4. National Audubon Society
(New York, New York). 154 pages.
Pages 8-11, 139, summary of all known records north of San Francisco
Bay [NOTE: all covered elsewhere in this bibliography]. Koford
analyzed the northern records as follows:
"The localities for all the definite records of occurrence
of condors in the Pacific Northwest are within 120 miles of the
coast and mostly in the region of the lower Columbia River. Published
reports that condors ranged inland to 500 miles from the mouth
of the Columbia River and northward to 49 degreesare apparently
based on hearsay. In view of the fact that condors have an extensive
yearly range, yet tend to forage over the same area for many days
in succession, the presence of two or three dozen condors in northwestern
Oregon would be sufficient to account for all the records for
that area.
"The occurrence and disappearance of condors along the Columbia
River cannot be satisfactorily explained on the basis of the available
facts. In order to explain this situation, one must know whether
the birds were breeding, at what season they were most numerous,
and upon what were they feeding. As there is no evidence of the
breeding of condors north of San Francisco, the northern birds
were probably immatures and non-breeding adults. Today the seasonal
distribution of such birds is largely determined by the location
of a constant suitable supply of food." [NOTE: Here, Koford
reviewed the various confusing statements about the seasons of
highest condor use, and also about the lack of good first-hand
records of food use.] "Douglas did not mention that condors
fed upon fish. Lewis, Clark, and Gass did not mention that condors
fed on salmon although there was one mention of condors feeding
on 'fish' on the sea coast. The idea that condors fed mainly on
salmon along the shores of the river seems to be attributable
to Townsend only.
"Judging from various mentions of salmon in the accounts
of Lewis, Clark, and Douglas, the run of salmon commenced in April
and declined during the summer. In mid-October great numbers of
salmon lined the shores of the Columbia. In winter the Indians
starved for lack of fish. The idea that condors were most common
on the river in summer correlates well with the time of the salmon
run. On this basis, one might suggest that the condors moved northward
in summer to feed on the salmon and that they retired southward
in winter. A seasonal northward and southward movement of about
100 miles occurs in the condor population today. Turkey vultures
also tend to retire southward in winter. The only difficulty with
this supposition is that all of the definite records of condors
in the region of the Columbia River are included between the months
of September and March, the opposite of the season of the salmon
run. Possibly the population of condors was so scattered in summer,
when there was an abundance of food for 100 miles or more along
the river, that the explorers did not notice them.
"Douglasmentioned that the country had been extensively burned
over by the Indians in the area where he saw nine condors. Perhaps
this burning killed many animals and opened up the forests so
that the carcasses were available to condors. Presumably burning
would occur in late summer or fall at about the time that the
condors arrived (judging by the written records of occurrence).
"Whatever the source of food near the Columbia River, condors
evidently found it attractive. It may be that unfavorable food
conditions in California forced the condors northward in search
of food, and, finding it, they tended to stay in that area or
to return in subsequent years. Then as the production of livestock
and the slaughter of these animals for hides increased in California,
the condors withdrew to the south and were not again forced northward.
The other possibility is that the condors in the Pacific Northwest
were the remnants of a formerly widespread population in that
area, but there are no fossil or sub-fossil specimens to support
this idea. As condors were apparently present in the Sacramento
Valley and in Humboldt County in the middle 1800's, the southward
withdrawal seems more probable."
COMMENT: Since Koford's time, more information has come to light
on condors in the Pacific Northwest. There are more records to
analyze than he had access to; there are prehistoric records he
didn't know about; and there is a wealth of Native American information
that he did not consider. Neither of his main hypotheses are compelling,
today.
45. Kroeber, A. L. 1925.
Handbook of the Indians of California. Smithsonian Institute,
Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 78.
Chapter 3, Yurok religion: White Deerskin or Jump dances performed
annually originally, last for a week or more, usually in September
or October, characterized by displaying of wealth or most prized
possessions; Page 116 - "The Deerskin dancers wear aprons
of civet cat or a deer-hide blanket about the waist, masses of
dentalium necklaces, and forehead bands of wolf fur that shade
the eyes. For the head rises a stick on which are fastened two
or four black and white eagle or condor feathers, so put together
as to look like a single feather of enormous length, its quill
covered with woodpecker scalp; or, three slender rods of sinew,
scarlet with attached bits of scalp, rise from the stick."
Page 117 - "Shamans were chiefly women, and acquired their
powers on mountain tops at night. Some people, too, were pitied
by powerful lake spirits, and became physically strong and brave.
Shamans in practicing wore a headband from which hung two long
strings of feathers, and shoved condor feathers into their stomachs.
There were those who only diagnosed while singing and dancing
and others who also sucked out disease objects and blood."
Page 118 - Figure 11 shows a Wiyot shaman's outfit, including
a drawing of a condor feather.
Chapter 9, Athabascans:
Southern Group
The Sinkyone occupied the South Fork of the Eel River, and the
adjacent sea coast from north of Shelter Cove to a point between
Usal and Rockport.
Pages 149-150: The incipient Sinkyone shaman did not seek supernatural
power, but began to dream of a dead relative or of the condor
or other powerful spirits in the sky; or he would meet with a
terrifying experience in a desolate place. One man, for instance,
returned from hunting with bleeding nose and mouth after a delay
that had caused his family to fear for his safety. Converging
deer trails led him to a house in the rocks, he recounted, with
deer hair and dung lying deep. When he faced two condors with
red-striped breasts and spread wings, he fell unconscious and
lay until night. He sang with reference to this experience until
a dance house was erected for him and older colleagues made him
into a skillful medicine man.
Chapter 12, The Yuki:
Religion
Page 185 - It is said that long ago a man of the Matamno'm, one
of the Witukomno'm or other southerly Yuki divisions, bought certain
black wing feathers of the condor from the Kato, and information
with them. This information was the creation myth as related in
the Taikomol-woknam. The feathers were worn, but were also
like an American book: the knowledge came with them. Because of
this event the southern Yuki are said to sing the Taikomol
songs somewhat differently from the Huchnom and Ta'no'm, to
whom, evidently, this importation did not extend.
Pages 191-193, The Obsidian Ceremony - The Ta'no'm, and perhaps
the Lilshikno'm, branches of the Yuki were the only ones who practiced
the Obsidian Ceremony. They reportedly learned it from the Wailaki,
although some say it was an old Ta'no'm ceremony. It is an adolescence
ceremony involving both boys and girls. It is meant to identify
future obsidian doctor shamans. "To the accompaniment of
a certain song, the shamans thrust their sky-obsidians - that
is, their long blades - into the children to their stomachs, it
is said, and twist them. Those who bleed at the mouth will be
obsidian-doctors themselves; the others cannot expect this career.
Then, to another song, condor feathers are pushed into the patient
youngsters so far that only the butt of the quill projects from
their mouths. These are also twisted and signs of blood watched
for."
Page 196-197, Shamanism: "The Yuki doctor or shaman, lamshimi,
is a man, rarely a woman. Most frequently he receives the
first intimation of his faculties in a dream, but it may also
come to him in a waking appearance. His powers restupon intercourse
with spirits of human shape and speech. There are bear doctors
and rattlesnake doctors. In all these respects Yuki shamanism
is of central Californian type and contrary to northwestern customs.
Doctors dream of supreme spirits, upon whom their power depends,
but they exercise their curative and other functions by the aid
of lesser spirits, whom they actually control. Such personally
owned spirits are called mumolno'm, or hushkaiemol,
'speaker, instructor.' The great spirits are Milili and
the creator. Milili lives in the sky above the visible
one, and owns an enormous block of obsidian of which all obsidians
in the world are fragments that he has thrown down. He has the
shape of an enormous eagle or condor."
Chapter 26. The Wintun:
Kuksu Cult - Among the Wintun, or more specifically in the Patwin
half of the Wintun stock, appears to be found a hotbed of the
central California cult system based on a secret society and characterized
by the Kuksu or "big-head" dances.
Page 378 - The Condor dance (Moloko/Moloku) was a minor dance
practiced by the Patwin, Valley Maidu and Central Miwok.
Pages 379-381, The dance series: The dance ceremonies are performed
in cycles, beginning about October and continuing to May. When
the Condor dance was done, it was performed toward the end of
the cycle. While the dance cycles had relationship to assuring
adequate food (e.g., to increase the availability of deer), dances
for animals without food value (coyote, grizzly bear, condor,
nuthatch, turtle) were about magical symbolism.
Chapter 29, The Maidu:
Religion and Knowledge.
Pages 435-436, the condor dance (Moloko) was part of the Maidu
dance cycle. It is not well known. "The bird is the object
of much regard by all California Indians."
COMMENT: Taken together, these findings of Kroeber demonstrate
that throughout northern California north of San Francisco and
west of the Sierra Nevada, the California condor was well-known
enough to have been an integral figures in Native American mythology,
religion, and ritual, and common enough to be a regular source
of feathers and skins to be used as regalia and in medicine.
46. Kroeber, A. L. 1929.
The Valley Nisenan. University of California Publications in American
Archeology and Ethnology 24(4):253-290.
The Valley Nisenan of the Sacramento Valley included the condor
mo'lok' in their myth about the origin of fire.
COMMENT: Another instance of the condor being a central figure
in northern California Native American myth and ritual.
47. Leach, F. A. 1929.
A turkey buzzard roost. Condor 31(1):21-23.
"In the later [18]50's, in the central and northern parts
of the state, it was not uncommon also to see the great Condors
(Gymnogyps californianus) associated with flocks of a dozen
or more buzzards, feeding on the remains of a dead horse or steer.
I frequently saw them between the years of 1857 and 1860 on the
bare hills of lower Napa Valley. They were so much larger than
the buzzards that there was no trouble in distinguishing one from
the other. Generally where there was a flock of the smaller birds
gathered about a carcass, there would be two or three of the big
Condors. It is my impression that after 1859 or 1860 the latter
were seldom seen, in the Napa section at least; and I think the
extinction of the Condor in northern California took place in
the decade following 1860."
COMMENT: The author was seeing condors regularly, but apparently
not in large numbers, north of San Francisco Bay, through the
1850s. It is unfortunate that he doesn't give any specific records
to indicate seasons of use.
48. The Journals of
the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1805-1806)
COMMENT: The journals of this historic first trip by Europeans
down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean and back, has been
published in a variety of forms. I have chosen to use the website
"Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Online"
[ http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/index.html ], which employs
(in the website's words) "the text of the celebrated Nebraska
editionedited by Gary E. Moultonthe most accurate and inclusive
edition ever published." [Citation: The Journals of the Lewis
and Clark Expedition Online is sponsored by the National Endowment
for the Humanities, the Center for Great Plains Studies, the University
of Nebraska Center for Digital Research in the Humanities, and
University of Nebraska Press].
Procedure on the trip was for a number of the participants to
keep diaries, and to copy each others diaries, to make certain
that all pertinent information was recorded somewhere. Therefore,
considerable repetition occurs, but also some diaries were more
original, and provide additional information. Diarists and others
cited below: Captain Meriwether Lewis; Second Lieutenant William
Clark; Sergeant Patrick Gass; Sergeant John Ordway; Privates Joseph
Field and Reubin Field; Private Francois Labiche; and Private
Joseph Whitehouse.
Wednesday 30 October 1805 [on the Columbia River near present-day
Cascade Locks, Oregon]
(1) "A Cloudy morning. Some little rain all night, after
eating a Slight brackfast of venison we Set out 2 miles to a point
of a timbered bottom on Stard. Side halted to Dine, killed a Deer
& 3 ducks & a Squirel of the Mountains we can plainly
hear the roreing of the grand Shutes below, saw the large Buzard
white head and part of the wings white" [Clark].
(2) "J. Shields Killed a Buck & Labiech 3 Ducks, here
the river widens to about one mile large Sand bar in the middle,
a Great [rock] both in and out of the water, large <round>
Stones, or rocks are also permiscuisly Scattered about in the
river. this day we Saw Some fiew of the large Buzzard Capt. Lewis
Shot at one, those Buzzards are much larger than any other of
ther Spece or the largest Eagle white under part of their wings
&c." [Clark]
(3) "One of the hunters killed a Deer we Saw a great number
of Swan and geese along the Shores. Some turkey bazzards which
had white under their wings. Capt. Clark killed a black loon."
[Ordway]
(4) "Some bottoms along the Shores covred with cotton timber,
and under brush &c. the after part of the day rainy and foggey.
one of the hunters killed a Deer. we Saw a great nomber of Swan
and geese, turkey buzzards which had white on their wings &c.
Capt. Clark killed a black loon." [Whitehouse]
(5) "We had a cool Cloudy morning. The latter part of this
day we had some Rain & it became foggy. One of our hunters
that had went out this morning, met us with a deer, which he had
killed. We saw a great quantity of Geese & Ducks in the River,
& Turkey buzzards which differed in Colour to those we had
before seen, having white feathers on their wings." [Whitehouse]
COMMENT: Although some of the diarists identified these birds
as "turkey buzzards with white on their wings," a Meriwether
Lewis journal entry 9 April 1806 makes it clear these were not
turkey vultures: "we saw some turkey buzzards this morning
of the species common to the United states which are the first
we have seen on this side the rocky mountains."
There is a minor discrepancy among the journals as to which date
was the first the party saw condors. Clark's October 1805 weather
summary puts the date as 29 October: "Saw the first Buzzard
or Voultur of the Columbia." A copy of Clark's diary [identified
as Voorhis No. 4] has "first Vulture of the Columbia seen
to day" under 28 October, and "I shot at a vulture"
on 29 October.
Monday 18 November 1805
[near Cape Disappointment on the Washington side of the Columbia
River]
(1) "A little Cloudy this morning I set out at day light
with 10 men & my Sevent, Shabono, Sergt. Pryer odderway Jos.
& R. Fields Shannon Colter, wiser, Lebiech & york proceeded
on Down the Shore from the 1st point passed a part of a fish about
1 mile above I supposed to be a Grampass- [dolphin?] The men killed
4 brants & <we> Lab. Killed 48 pliver of 2 different
kinds yellow & black legs- I had them picked cooked and we
Dined on them.. 3 miles to the Iner pt. of Cape Disapointmt passed
a point & 2 Small nitches (Reuben Fields killed a Vulter)"
[Clark]
(2) "Here we made a fire and dined on 4 brant and 48 Pliver
which was killed by Labiech on the coast as we came on. Rubin
Fields Killed a Buzzard of the large Kind near the meat of the
whale we Saw: W. 25 lb. measured from the tips of the wings across
912 feet, from the point of the Bill to the end of the tail 3
feet 1014 inches, middle toe 512 inches, toe nale 1 inch &
312 lines, wing feather 212 feet long & 1 inch 5 lines diamiter
tale feathers 1412 inches, and the head is 612 inches including
the beak" [Clark]
(3) "Cloudy. Capt. Clark myself and 10 more of the party
Set out in order to go down and see the passiffic ocean. we proceeded
on round Hailys bay crossed two Rivers in Sd. bay. one of the
party killed a verry large turkey buzzard which had white under
its wings, and was nine feet from the points of the wings, and
3 feet 10 Inches in length, and every way proportined." [Ordway]
COMMENT: The head of this condor was preserved, and was displayed
at Peale's Museum in Philadelphia.
Tuesday 19 November
1805 [Cape Disappointment area, Washington]
"began to rain a little before day and Continued raining
untill 11 oClock I proceeded on thro emencely bad thickets &
hills crossing 2 points to a 3rd on which we built a fire and
Cooked a Deer which Jos. Field Killd. Saw a Dead Sturgen 10 feet
long on the Sand, & the back bone of a Whale, as I conceived
raind I then returned to the Cape & dined, Some curious Deer
on this Course darker large boded Shorte legs Pronged horns &
the top of the tale black under part white as usual.
"The Buzzard which Ruben Fields killed diameter of one feather
is-114 & 1 Line from the tip of one to the tip of the other
wing is 9 feet 0 Inches, from the point of the Bill to the tale
is 3 feet 1014 Ins. middle Toe 512 Inches, Toe nale 1 Inches [Editor's
note: 312? and one mark illegible] wing feather 2 feet 12 In.
Tale feathers 1414 In. Head is 614 Inch long including the [beek?]"
[Clark]
COMMENT: This still refers to the condor killed 18 November 1805.
Wednesday 20 November
1805 - Washington side of Columbia River mouth area
(1) "We had a fine clear morning; One of the men went out
to hunt in the morning, and in a short time killed 2 deer. This
day continued clear and pleasant throughout. At 4 o'clock in the
afternoon, Capt. Clarke and his party returned to camp, and had
killed a deer and some brants. They had been about 10 miles north
of the cape, and found the country along the seashore level, with
spruce- pine timber, and some prairies and ponds of water. They
killed a remarkably large buzzard of a species different from
any I had seen. It was 9 feet across the wings, and 3 feet 10
inches from the bill to the tail." [Gass]
(2) "A clear pleasant morning. Captain Lewis gave one of
the Indians who had encamped near us a Medal. One of our hunters
went out & killed two deer & several Brants. About 4 o'Clock
P. M Captain Clark & party returned to our encampment.- they
mentioned of having been about 10 Miles North of Cape disappointment,
along the Sea Coast; & that they found the Country <after>
six miles travel from our Camp mountaineous; and than a flatt
low country, mostly covered with Spruce pine timber, some ponds,
& low Priaries, as far as they could see. they had killed
One Deer, & 40 fowl of different kinds, such as ducks, Brants,
&ca. They had seen the Natives on the Sea shore, who they
mention'd were a dirty lazy sett of people. They also had seen
among them a Sturgeon which was about 8 feet long & had killed
a very large uncommon Sized bird.- This bird had the resemblance
of a Buzzard, it measured 9 feet from the point of one of its
wings to the point of the other wing, the body was 3 feet 10 Inches
in length, & the head & neck 67 Inches long & was
white under its wings." [Whitehouse]
COMMENT: Further reference to the condor killed on 18 November
1805.
Friday 29 November 1805
[near present-day Astoria, Oregon]
"The winds are from Such points that we cannot form our Camp
So as to prevent the Smoke which is emencely disagreeable, and
painfull to the eyes- The Shore below the point at our Camp is
formed of butifull pebble of various colours. I observe but fiew
birds of the Small kind, great numbers of wild fowls of Various
kinds, the large Buzzard with white wings, grey and bald eagle's,
large red tailed Hawks, ravens & Crows in abundance, the blue
Magpie, a Small brown bird which frequents logs & about the
roots of trees- Snakes, Lizards, Small bugs, worms, Spiders, flyes
& insects of different kinds are to be <found> Seen
in abundance at this time." [Clark]
Saturday 30 November
1805 [Astoria area]
"Some rain and hail with intervales of fair weather for 1
and 2 hours dureing the night and untill 9 oClock this morning
at which time it Cleared up fair and the Sun Shown, I Send 5 men
in a Canoe in the Deep bend above the Peninsulear to hunt fowles,
& 2 men in the thick woods to hunt Elk had all our wet articles
dried & the men all employed dressing their Skins, I observe
but few birds in this Countrey of the Small kinds- great numbers
of wild fowl, The large Buzzard with white under their wings Grey
& Bald eagle large red tailed hawk, ravins, Crows, & a
small brown bird which is found about logs &c. but fiew small
hawks or other smaller birds to be seen at this time" [Clark]
3 January 1806 [Clatsop
County, Oregon]
(1) "At 11 A. M. we were visited by our near neighbours,
Chief or Tiá, Co-mo-wool; alias Conia and six Clatsops.
the[y] brought for sale some roots buries and three dogs also
a small quantity of fresh blubber. this blubber they informed
us they had obtained from their neighbours the Callamucks who
inhabit the coast to the S. E. near whose vilage a whale had recently
perished. this blubber the Indians eat and esteeme is excellent
food. our party from necessaty have been obliged to subsist some
length of time on dogs have now become extreemly fond of their
flesh; it is worthy of remark that while we lived principally
on the flesh of this anamal we were much more healthy strong and
more fleshey than we had been since we left the Buffaloe country.
for my own part I have become so perfectly reconciled to the dog
that I think it an agreeable food and would prefer it vastly to
lean Venison or Elk. a small Crow, the blue crested Corvus and
the smaller corvus with a white brest, the little brown ren, a
large brown sparrow, the bald Eagle and the beatifull Buzzard
of the columbia still continue with us.- Sent Sergt. Gass and
George shannon to the saltmakers who are somewhere on the coast
to the S. W. of us, to enquire after Willard and Wiser who have
not yet returned. Reubin Fields Collins and Pots the hunters who
set out on the 26th Ulto. returned this evening after dark. they
reported that they had been about 15 Miles up the river at the
head of the bay just below us and had hunted the country from
thence down on the East side of the river, even to a considerable
distance from it and had proved unsuccessful having killed one
deer and a few fowls, barely as much as subsisted them."
[Lewis]
(2) "At 11 A. m. we were visited by our near neighbour Chief
(or Tiá) Co mo wool alis Conia [NB: Coôné,]
and Six Clat sops. they brought for Sale Some roots berries and
3 Dogs also a Small quantity of fresh blubber. this blubber they
informed us they had obtained from their neighbours the Cal lá
mox who inhabit the coast to the S. E near one of their Villages
a Whale had recently perished. this blubber the Indians eat and
esteem it excellent food. our party from necescity have been obliged
to Subsist Some length of time on dogs have now become extreamly
fond of their flesh; it is worthey of remark that while we lived
principally on the flesh of this animal we wer much more helthy
Strong and more fleshey then we have been Sence we left the Buffalow
Country. as for my own part I have not become reconsiled to the
taste of this animal as yet. a Small Crow, the blue Crested Corvus
and the Smaller Corvus with a white breast, the little brown ren,
and a large brown Sparrow, the bald Eagle, and the butifull Buzzard
of the Columbia Still Continue with us, Send Sarjt. Gass and G.
Shannon to the Salt makers who are on the Sea Coast to the S,
W of us, to enquire after Willard & Wiser who have not yet
returned. R. Field, potts & Collins the hunters who Set out
on the 28th ulto. returned this evening after dark. they reported
that they had been about 15 miles up the river which falls into
Meriwethers Bay to the East of us, and had hunted the Country
a considerable distance to East, and had proved unsucksesfull
haveing killed one Deer and a fiew fowls, bearly as much as Subsisted
them." [Clark]
16 February 1806 [Clatsop
County, Oregon]
"Shannon and Labiesh brought in to us to day a Buzzard or
Vulture of the Columbia which they had wounded and taken alive.
I believe this to be the largest Bird of North America. it was
not in good order and yet it wayed 25 lbs had it have been so
it might very well have weighed 10 lbs. more or 35 lbs. between
the extremities of the wings it measured 9 feet 2 Inches; from
the extremity of the beak to that of the toe 3 feet 9 inches and
a half. from hip to toe 2 feet, girth of the head 9 inches 34.
Girth of the neck 712 inches; Girth of the body exclusive of the
wings 2 feet 3 inches; girth of the leg 3 inches. the diameter
of the eye 412/10ths of an inch, the iris of a pale scarlet red,
the puple of a deep Sea green or black and occupies about one
third of the diameter of the eye the head and part of the neck
as low as the figures 1 2 is uncovered with feathers except that
portion of it represented by dots foward and under the eye. (See
likeness on the other Side of this leaf) the tail is Composed
of twelve feathers of equal length, each 14 inches. the legs are
434 inches in length and of a whiteish colour uncovered with feathers,
they are not entirely Smooth but not imbricated; the toes are
four in number three of which are foward and that in the center
much the longest; the fourth is Short and is inserted near the
inner of the three other toes and reather projecting foward. the
thye is covered with feathers as low as the Knee. the top or upper
part of the toes are imbricated with broad scales lying transversly;
the nails are black and in proportion to the Size of the bird
comparitively with those of the Hawk or Eagle, Short and bluntly
pointed-. the under Side of the wing is Covered with white down
and feathers. a white Stripe of about 2 inches in width, also
marks the outer part of the wing, imbraceing the lower points
of the feathers, which [c]over the joints of the wing through
their whole length or width of that part of the wing. all the
other feathers of whatever part are of a Glossy Shineing black
except the down, which is not glossy, but equally black. the Skin
of the beak and head to the joining of the neck is of a pale orrange
Yellow, the other part uncovered with feathers is of a light flesh
Colour. the Skin is thin and wrinkled except on the beak where
it is Smooth. This bird fly's very clumsily. nor do I know whether
it ever Seizes it's prey alive, but am induced to believe it does
not. we have Seen it feeding on the remains of the whale and other
fish which have been thrown up by the waves on the Sea Coast.
these I believe constitute their principal food, but I have no
doubt but that they also feed on flesh. we did not meet with this
bird un[t]ille we had decended the Columbia below the great falls;
and have found them more abundant below tide water than above.
this is the Same Species of Bird which R. Field killed on the
18th of Novr. last and which is noticed on that day tho' not fully
discribed then I thought this of the Buzzard Specis. I now believe
that this bird is reather of the Vulture genus than any other,
tho' it wants Some of their characteristics particularly the hair
on the neck, and the feathers on the legs. this is a handsom bird
at a little distance. it's neck is proportionably longer than
those of the Hawks or Eagle. Shannon also brought a Grey Eagle
which appeared to be of the Same kind common to the U, States.
it weighed 15 pds. and measured 7 feet 7 inches between the extremities
of the wings-.
"Shannon and Labiesh informed us that when he approached
this Vulture after wounding it, that it made a loud noise very
much like the barking of a Dog. the tongue is long firm and broad,
filling the under Chap and partakeing of its transvirs curvature,
or its Sides forming a longitudinal Groove; obtuse at the point,
the margin armed with firm cartelagenous prickkles pointed and
bending inwards." [Clark]
17 February 1806 [Clatsop
County, Oregon]
(1) "Shannon <& Labuishe> brought me one of the
large carrion Crow or Buzzads of the Columbia which they had wounded
and taken alive. [1] I bleive this to be the largest bird of North
America. it was not in good order and yet it weighed 25 lbs. had
it have been so it might very well have weighed 10 lbs mor or
35 lbs. between the extremities of the wings it measured 9 feet
2 inches; from the extremity of the beak to that of the toe 3
F. 912 In. from hip to toe 2 feet, girth of head 934 In. girth
of the neck 712 Inches; do. of body exclusive of the wings 2 feet
3 Inches; do of leg 3 inches. diameter of the eye 412/10ths of
an inch. the iris of a pale scarlet red, the puple of deep sea
green or black and occupyed about one third of the diameter of
the eye. the head and a part of the neck as low as the figures
1 2 is uncovered with feathers except that portion of it represented
by dots (see likeness). the tail is composed of 12 feathers of
equal length, each 14 inches. the legs are 434 inches in length
and of a white colour un covered with feathers, they are not entirely
smooth but not imbricated; the toes are four in number three of
which are forward and that in the center much the longes; the
fourth is short and is inserted near the inner of the three other
toes and reather projecting forward. the thye is covered with
feathers as low as the knee. the top or upper part of the toes
are imbricated with broad scales lying transversly; the nails
are blak and in proportion to the size of the bird comparitively
with those of the halk or Eagle, short and bluntly pointed. the
under side of the wing is covered with white down and feathers.
a white stripe of about two inches in width, also marks the outer
part of the wing, imbracing the lower points of the feathers,
which cover the joints of the wing through their whole length
or width of that part of the wing. all the other feathers of whatever
part are glossey shining black except the down which is not glossey
but equally black. the skin of the beak and head to the joining
of the neck is of a pale orrange yellow the other part uncovered
with feathers is of a light flesh colour. the skin is thin and
wrinkled except on the beak where it is smooth. this bird flys
very clumsily nor do I know whether it ever seizes it's prey alive,
but am induced to beleive that it dose not. we have seen it feeding
on the remains of the whale & other fish which have been thrown
up by the waves on the sea coast. these I beleive constitute their
prinsipal food, but I have no doubt but they also feed on flesh;
we did not met with this bird untill we had decended the Columbia
below the great falls, and have found them more abundant below
tide-water than above. I beleive that this bird is reather of
the Vulture genus than any other, tho' it wants some of their
characteristics particularly the hair on the neck and feathers
on the legs.- this is a handsome bird at a little distance. it's
neck is proportionably longer than those of the hawks or Eagle.
Shannon also brought me a grey Eagle which appeared to be of the
same kind common to the U' States; it weighed 15 lb. and measured
7 Feet 7 Inches between the extremities of the wings.- At 4 P.
M. Sergt. Gass and party arrived; they had killed eight Elk. Drewyer
and Whitehouse also returned late in the evening, had killed one
Elk.- Labuishe informed me that when he approached this vulture,
after wounding it, that it made a loud noise very much like the
barking of a dog & the tongue is large firm and broad, filling
the under chap and partaking of it's transverse curvature, or
it's sides colapsing upwards forming a longitudinal groove; obtuse
at the point, the margin armed with firm cartelaginous prickkles
pointed and bending inwards." [Lewis]
(2) "a little Snow
fell this fournoon. three hunters came in with the meat of an
Elk which they took out of a creek where some of the hunters had
killed in the after part of the day Sgt. Gass and 2 men returned
to the Fort. they had killed Eight Elk, and jurked 2 of them.
Some of the men killed a gray Eagle and a new kind of a Turkey
buzzad. [6] one man came from the Salt works for help to move
in the Salt & kittles. Drewyer & Whitehouse came in had
killed one Elk." [Ordway]
COMMENT: The observations of 16 February 1806 and 17 February
1806 refer to the same condor. The specimen was not preserved.
4 March 1806 [Columbia
River area, Columbia County, Oregon]
"The turtle dove and robbin are the same of our country and
are found as well in the plain as open country. the Columbian
robbin [varied thrush] heretofore discribed seems to be the inhabitant
of the woody country exclusively. The Magpy is most commonly found
in the open country and are the same with those formerly discribed
on the Missouri. the large woodpecker or log cock [pileated woodpecker],
the lark woodpecker [flicker] and the small white woodpecker with
a read head [sapsucker] are the same with those of the Atlantic
states and are found exclusively in the timbered country. The
blue crested Corvus and the small white breasted do [gray jay]
have been previously discribed and are the natives of a piney
country invariably, being found as well on the rocky mountains
as on this coast.- the lark [meadowlark] is found in the plains
only and are the same with those before mentioned on the Missouri,
and not very unlike what is called in Virginia the old field lark.-
The large blueish brown or sandhill Crain are found in the valley
of the Rocky mountains in Summer and Autumn where they raise their
young, and in the winter and begining of spring on this river
below tidewater and on this coast. they are the same as those
common to the Southern and Western States where they are most
generally known by the name of the Sandhill crain. The vulture
has also been discribed. there are two species of the fly-catch,
a small redish brown species with a short tail, round body, short
neck and short pointed beak. they have some fine black specks
intermixed with the uniform redish brown. this the same with that
which remains all winter in Virginia where it is sometimes called
the wren. the second species has lately returned and dose not
remain here all winter. it's colours are a yellowish brown on
the back head neck wings and tail the breast and belley of a yellowish
white; the tail is in proportion as the wren but it is a size
smaller than that bird. it's beak is streight pointed convex reather
lage at the base and the chaps of equal length. the first species
is the smallest, in short it is the smalest bird that I have ever
seen in America except the humming bird. both these species are
found in the woody country only or at least I have never seen
them elsewhere." [Lewis]
Sunday 16 March 1806
"Yesterday while I was absent getting our meat home, one
of the hunters killed two vultures, the largest fowls I have ever
seen. I never saw such as these except on the Columbia River and
the seacoast." [Gass]
COMMENT: This observation is out of Patrick Gass' published trip
report, and doesn't seem to be in the compiled record given on
the Lewis and Clark Online website.
Friday 28 March 1806 [Deer Island, Columbia County, Oregon]
(1) "This morning we set out very early and at 9 A. M. arrived
at the old Indian Village on Lard side of Deer Island where we
found our hunters had halted and left one man with the two canoes
at their camp; they had arrived last evening at this place and
six of them turned out to hunt very early this morning; by 10
A. M. they all returned to camp having killed seven deer. these
were all of the common fallow deer with the long tail. I measured
the tail of one of these bucks which was upwards of 17 Inches
long; they are very poor, tho' they are better than the black
tailed fallow deer of the coast. these are two very distinct speceis
of deer. the Indians call this large Island E-lal-lar or deer
island which is a very appropriate name. the hunters informed
us that they had seen upwards of a hundred deer this morning on
this island. the interior part of the island is praries and ponds,
with a heavy growth of Cottonwood ash and willow near the river.
we have seen more waterfowl on this island than we have previously
seen since we left Fort Clatsop, consisting of geese, ducks, large
swan, and Sandhill crains. I saw a few of the Canvisback duck.
the duckinmallard are the most abundant. one of the hunters killed
a duck which appeared to be the male, it was a size less than
the duckinmallard. the head neck as low as the croop, and back
tail and covert of the wings were of a fine black with a small
addmixture of perple about the head and neck, the belley &
breast were white; some long feathers which lie underneath the
wings and cover the thye were of a pale dove colour with fine
black specks; the large feathers of the wings of the wings are
of a dove colour. the legs are dark, the feet are composed of
4 toes each of which there are three in front connected by a web,
the 4th is short flat and placed high on the heel behind the leg.
the tail is composed of 14 short pointed feathers. the beak of
this duck is remarkably wide, and is 2 inches in length, the upper
chap exceeds the under one in both length and width, insomuch
that when the beak is closed the under is entirly concealed by
the upper chap. the tongue, indenture of the margin of the chaps
&c. are like those of the mallard. the nostrils are large
longitudinal and connected. a narrow strip of white garnishes
the upper part or base of the upper chap; this is succeeded by
a pale skye blue colour which occupys about one inch of the chap,
is again succeeded by a transverse stripe of white and the extremity
is of a pure black. the eye is moderately large the puple black
and iris of a fine orrange yellow. the feathers on the crown of
the head are longer than those on the upper part of neck and other
parts of the head; these feathers give it the appearance of being
crested.
"the men who had been sent after the deer returned and brought
in the remnent which the Vultures and Eagles had left us; these
birds had devoured 4 deer in the course of a few hours. the party
killed and brought in three other deer a goose some ducks and
an Eagle. Drewyer also killed a tiger cat. Joseph Fields informed
me that the Vultures had draged a large buck which he had killed
about 30 yards, had skined it and broken the back bone."
[Lewis]
(2) "Sent after the deer returned with four only, the other
4 haveing been eaten entirely by the Voulturs except the Skin.
The men we had been permitted to hunt this evening killed 3 deer
4 Eagles & a Duck. the deer are remarkably pore. Some rain
in the after part of the day." [Clark]
(3) "the grey Eagles
are pleanty on this Island they eat up three deer in a short time
which our hunters had killed some of the hunters killed Several
of them. The game is pleanty about this place & the Soil rich
&c" [Ordway]
(4) "The morning was cloudy. We set out early, and at 10
o'clock came to Deer island; where those who had gone ahead in
the small canoes had encamped, and all gone out to hunt except
one. In a short time a hunter returned with a large deer, and
we concluded to stay here all day and repair two of our canoes,
that leaked. It rained at intervals during the day. Our hunters
came in and had killed 7 deer in all. Some of the men went to
bring in the meat, and others went out and killed some geese and
ducks. ... When our men went for the deer, they found that the
fowls had devoured four of the carcases entirely, except the bones.
So they brought in the other two." [Gass]
(5) "Several of our Men were sent out in order to bring the
Vension to where our Canoes lay, & a number of our hunters
went out a hunting. Our officers concluded to stay on this Island
'till tomorrow, & we fixed our Encampment for the night. We
found innumerable quantities of Snakes on this Island of different
kinds. One of our hunters killed a wild Cat, & the others
of our hunters killed several Eagles &ca" [Whitehouse]
6 April 1806 [near Rooster
Rock-Latourell Falls, Columbia River, Oregon]
"we Set out and proceeded to the Camp of Gibson & party
about 9 miles, they had killed 3 Elk at no great distance and
Wounded two others so badly that we expect to precure them. Sent
a party of Six men with Shannon who had killed the Elk to bring
in the Elk, and formed a Camp, near which we had a Scaffold made
ready to dry the meat as Soon as it Should arive. at 6 P. M. Shannon
and party returned with the flesh of five Elk. the two he had
wounded in the morning he found dead near the place he had Shot
them. we had the meat cut into thin pices and Scaffored with a
fire under it to dry out, which we expect in the course of the
night Can be effected. four Indians from the great rapids visited
us to day and Continued all day. they give the Same account of
the Scercity of provisions above the falls as has already been
given by others. This Supply of Elk I think by useing economey
and in addition of roots and dogs which we may probably precure
from he Nativs on Lewis's river will be Sufficient to last us
to the Chopunnish where we Shall Meet with our horses-. and near
which place there is Some deer to be precured.
"Frazer killed a pheasent of the Common kind. Jos: Field
killed a vulture of that Speces already discribed." [Clark]
9 April 1806 [near Bonneville
Dam, Multnomah County, Oregon]
"we saw some turkey buzzards this morning of the speceis
common to the United states which are the first we have seen on
this side the rocky mountains" [Lewis]
COMMENT: I record this here as a reminder that, when Lewis and
Clark use the terms "buzzard" and "vulture"
west of Cascade Locks they are never referring to the turkey vulture.
49. Loeb, E. M. 1926.
Pomo folkways. University of California Publications in American
Archeology and Ethnology 19(2):149-404.
Pages 384-385, the Pomo condor dance is described.
COMMENT: The Pomo of Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties in California
were well acquainted with the California condor, and it entered
importantly into their various rituals and festivals.
50. Lord, J. K. 1866.
The Naturalist in Vancouver Island and British Columbia. London.
Regarding the condor: "Mouth of Fraser River, seldom visits
interior."
COMMENT: This sighting has been questioned, but there isn't enough
information to judge one way or the other.
51. Lucia, E. 1968.
Russian trek taps major history find - Persistence pays off. Sacramento
Bee (Sacramento, California), 22 September 1968, page B5.
Newspaper account of Oregon Historical Society trip to Russian
museums (see Reference 76), includes a photograph of Native American
cape made of condor feathers.
52. Lyon, M. W. Jr.
1918. Report of the Secretary, Biological Society of Washington,
20 October 1917. Journal Washington Academy of Sciences 8(1):25-28.
In the fall of 1879, General T. E. Wilcox reported seeing two
condors feeding on a sheep carcass near the "hot springs
above Boise City."
COMMENT: If an accurate identification, one of the few far inland
records of the California condor.
53. Macoun, J., and
J. M. Macoun. 1909. Catalogue of Canadian birds. Ottawa, Ontario:
Government Printing Office. 761pp.
The authors compiled the various Canadian records of California
condors, mostly without comment. Fannin reported two condors September
1880 at Burrard Inlet, British Columbia. This species was said
by David Douglas to be a common species as far north as the 49th
parallel in 1826. At that time it was extremely abundant in the
valley of the Columbia between the Grand Rapids and the Pacific.
(Richardson.) Seen on Lulu Island
(in the Fraser river near its mouth) as late as "three or
four years ago" by Mr. W. London. None seen since 1892. (Rhoads.)
"On the l0th September, 1896, I saw between Calgary and the
Rocky Mountains two fine specimens of the California vulture.
(Fannin in The Auk, Vol. XIV, p. 89.) [Compilers' comment: "As
the specimens were not collected we are inclined to doubt the
occurrence of this species so far east."]
COMMENT: As noted elsewhere, the British Columbia records taken
together would seem to indicate that condors did occasionally
range that far north. For Fannin's Calgary record, see my comment
for Reference 24.
54. McGregor, R. C.
1901. A list of the land birds of Santa Cruz County, California.
Pacific Coast Avifauna 2.
E. H. Fiske (personal communication).-The condor was common a
few years ago, when it could be seen feeding with the Turkey Vulture.
The last I saw were two in September, 1885. A few still breed
in the wild mountains north of SantaCruz.
Breninger (Nidologist 2[1895]:77) records the condor as
breeding in the county, having its nest in a huge redwood tree.
Emerson, on the verbal authority of Cooper, records them common
in 1866.
Joseph Skirm (List of Birds of Santa Cruz County, Cal. Ornithologist
and Oologist 9(1884), pp. 149-150.-Tolerably common. I have
seen them in a flock in company with Cathartes aura. It
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