Winner of the Green Earth Book Award Sibert Medalist National Book Award Honoree and New York
Times bestselling author Sy Montgomery turns her formidable talents to the story of California
condors and the scientists who have fought against their extinction in this installment in the
award-winning Scientists in the Field series. In April of 1987 the last wild California condor
was captured and taken to live in captivity like the other twenty-six remaining birds of its
kind. Many thought that the days were over of of this remarkable distinguished bird that had
roamed the skies of North and Central American for thousands of years. Sy Montgomery employs
her skill for on-the-ground reporting shrewd observation and stunning narrative prose to
detail the efforts of scientists volunteers and everyday citizens to get California condors
back in the wild. In particular Montgomery profiles employees at the Santa Barbara Zoo who
have worked tirelessly to raise abandoned chicks nurse sick birds back to health and conduct
research that can support legislation to ban what is probably the largest threat to the
existence of the wild condor: lead bullets. In turns affectionate and frustrated hopeful and
heartbreaking Montgomery's powerful prose does justice to these ancient sociable and elegant
creatures. Complete with world-class full-color photography and helpful sidebars that provide
details such as the history of the bird's fight back from extinction the dangers of lead
poisoning and the relationship of condors to the Chumash nation Condor Comeback is an
inspiring story of groundbreaking science perseverance and cooperation.
