© 2007 Judith Gebhard Smith...Science Art-Birds

Title: Plight of the Condor
Species: California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)
Artist: Judith Gebhard Smith (for further information, click on the artist's name)
Image size: 27" x 21"
Media: pastel
Date: 2007
Studio collection

The artists noted, "As a result of poisoning and hunting, this magnificent vulture has been driven to the brink of extinction. Through captive breeding programs they have been reintroduced to parts of California and to the Grand Canyon. A chance sighting during a dory trip down the Colorado River compelled me to paint this magnificent bird in the company of pictographs also seen in the Canyon. In this case, man and bird have had an uneasy relationship for a very long time. It is indeed a joy to see the repopulation of this wonderful creature in the mountains and gorges of California and Arizona."

Lead poisoning from ingesting lead bullet fragments left in carcasses of livestock, varmints, or large game left in the field by hunters had been the main impediment to the species' recovery from it's lowest point in the mid-1980s, when only 22 individuals remained. Since 2000, just over 275 cases of poisoning have been documented, resulting in four certain--and dozens of possible or probable--deaths. Effective July 1, 2008, non-lead ammunition must be used in California when hunting in condor habitat.