Avian Flu Claims at Least 7 California Condors—and a Beloved Bay Area Peregrine Falcon
Two of California’s most iconic endangered raptors have been hit by the devastating strain of avian influenza ravaging domestic and wild birds worldwide.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that at least seven endangered California condors found dead in Arizona tested positive for avian influenza. The virus is suspected to have also killed 11 more area condors; test results are pending.
Meanwhile, Shasta, a female peregrine falcon nesting atop San Jose City Hall, was confirmed to have died from avian influenza in late March. Shasta was the mate of Sequoia, the offspring of the beloved UC Berkeley campanile falcons Annie and Grinnell.