A New Addition!

Last week, VWS Biologists were excited to be able to confirm the existence of a second untagged juvenile! This chick is believed to be Condor #789, the offspring of Condors #199 and #438. Biologists were at the Big Sur Condor Sanctuary watching Condor #787 (a confirmed tagless juvenile, aka “Sky”) perched next to one of her moms when another untagged bird flew past! 
The next day Condor #199, who we suspect to be the new chick’s father, pushed all the other birds off of a calf carcass on the release slope and stood guard, giving his chick a chance to feed uninterrupted. 

Condor #789 was born in a redwood nest deep in the Ventana Wilderness. Because of the inaccessibility and remoteness of the nest, biologists were unable to visit it to determine if the chick hatched and fledged successfully. This chick was successfully fledged with absolutely no human intervention or assistance – completely wild! The mystery chick’s true identity will not be confirmed until biologists are able to capture it and perform a blood test to determine his or her parentage and sex.  Until then keep an eye on the condor cams, you may be able to spot her or our other untagged juvenile, Condor #787!

Condor 799 in good health, Nest cam launch

Melissa Clark with 799 

We conducted the final health exam on Condor 799.  Her blood tested low for lead, which was excellent news and we attached a new radio transmitter and Identification tag (Green 99) to her wing.  Overall, her health was stellar and she weighed in at a solid 16 pounds!

Nest cam taking in the action

We put the final touches on our live streaming condor nest cam, the first ever! Behind the scenes, the install of the cam was a monumental effort.  It involved carrying heavy loads up a steep rugged coastal canyon and climbing up a massive redwood tree.  We planned the bulk of the cam work to coincide with health exams on 799, to reduce disturbance around the nest. 

Nest cam inside redwood

Joe Burnett climbing up to install cam

Big Thanks to LA Zoo staff Mike Clark, Trey Kropp with Big Sur Wireless and Joe Piper with HDontap for their expert assistance during the install.  

Click here to see the latest action-  Condor nest cam