Untagged Condors

 

When condors hatch in the wild, biologists try to enter the nests and tag the young birds at about four months old. However, some nests are too dangerous or inaccessible to enter, so the chicks fledge (learn to fly) at about six months old with no wing tags. When that happens, biologists have to wait until the untagged condor comes to one of the trapping sites so it can get a wing tag and transmitter before getting released again.

After these untagged condors are caught, biologists send a blood sample out for DNA testing to confirm who the bird is. Instead of being held in captivity for weeks while we confirm their identity, these condors are released with temporary green tags and then recaptured later so they can recieve the correct tag.

 

Condor 1238 in the nest at 69 days old.

NPS/Rose Fielding

1238

Hatched: 5/11/23 from a wild nest in Pinnacles National Park
Sex: Male
Parents: Condors 340 and 236
Fun Fact: 1238 is being raised in a new nest cavity that 340 and 236 have not used before! The image to the left is when 1238 was still in the nest, now he is full feathered and can be seen flying around the High Peaks without tags!

 

Condor 1275 at just a few days old with parent, 868.

NPS/Gavin Emmons

1275

Hatched: 4/07/2024 from a wild nest in Pinnacles National Park
Sex: Male
Parents: Condors 868 and 931
Fun Fact: First time condor parents 868 and 931 chose a nest location to raise 1275 that no condor has used before! The image to the left is of 1275 when he was just a few days old!

 

1292

Hatched: 4/07/2024 in the wild
Sex: Unknown
Parents: Condors 330 and 317
Fun Fact: This bird is being raised in a nest outside of the park. Our biologists have yet to see it but keep tabs on it by monitoring the parents' movements.

 

Condor 1301 sitting in her nest.

NPS/Gavin Emmons

1301

Hatched: 5/07/2024 from a wild nest in Pinnacles National Park
Sex: Female
Parents: Condors 589 and 569
Fun Fact: This is superstar couple 589 and 569's fourth offspring in a row! Typically, condors nest every other year, but 589 and 569 have nested the past four years in a row!

 

1308

Hatched: 4/29/2024 in the wild
Sex: Unknown
Parents: Condors 800 and 747
Fun Fact: This bird is also being raised in a nest outside of the park. This is 800 and 747's second offspring together (condor 1175 being their first). Our biologists have yet to see it but keep tabs on it by monitoring the parents' movements.

 

Condor 1310 standing in their nest.

NPS/Gavin Emmons

1310

Hatched: 5/25/2024 from a wild nest in Pinnacles National Park
Sex: Unknown
Parents: VWS Condors 888, 889, and 913
Fun Fact: This is the first offspring of this trio. Even though this trio are all managed by VWS, they spend most of their time in Pinnacles and picked a great nesting location in the park to raise 1310! Trios are not uncommon in the condor world, but this is the first time Pinnacles has had a nesting trio within park boundaries. All three parents share their parental duties evenly, so that means 1310 gets even more food!