A recently released scientific paper authored by San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research scientists shows the leading causes of death of the endangered California condor in the wild are human influenced, with lead poisoning being the primary factor in juvenile and adult birds.

Two new UC Davis studies add scientific evidence that hunters’ lead ammunition often finds its way into carrion-eating birds, such as eagles and turkey vultures.

Rare California condors living in Arizona and Utah are at risk due to lead bullets found inside the carrion the birds feed upon, wildlife officials say. Kathy Sullivan of the Arizona Game and Fish Department said the 75 condors living in northern Arizona and southern Utah have begun feeding on the remains

A rare California condor chick has hatched in Baja California on a cliff side, according to the San Diego Zoo.

A California condor nest near Pinnacles National Monument is the first one documented in the region in more than 70 years, park officials say. Officials said a male condor released at the monument in 2004 apparently has paired with a 6-year-old female condor for breeding, KSBW-TV of Salinas, Calif., reported Tuesday. California condors were facing extinction and there had been no new condor nests known to have been found in the park in nearly 70 years before the 2003 reintroduction effort, said Carl Brenner, chief of interpretation and education at Pinnacles National Monument. The station noted the condor nest is located on a private ranch outside the Central California park.