and there was no stars and stripes. that flag wouldn't be used for a year. now to california and a story of resilience. bill whitaker with a magnificent sight high in the western sky. >> reporter: of all the sights to see in california, this is one of the rarest-- a california condor gliding 15,000 feet in the air. with a wingspan of ten feet and weighing up to 30 pounds, these high-flying scavengers once ruled the western skies. in the '80s, the numbers poaching and pollution and lead poisoning. just 22 birds remained.