Pinnacles Condor Chick Explores; Two More Young Condors Released

Condor 878 suns her wings. She is the second California condor to fledge from a nest in Pinnacles National Park in over 100 years.

NPS / Gavin Emmons

Condor 878 with one of her parents outside of the nest.

NPS / Gavin Emmons

December 2017 - California condor 878, who took her first short flight last month in Pinnacles National Park, is continuing to explore the world outside her nest cavity. So far, she has stayed close to the nest, perching in trees and on rocks with her parents. They will continue to stay close by for the next few months until she is meeting the other central California condors, finding her own food, and showing off her flight skills to visitors in the High Peaks.

The Pinnacles condor crew also just released two young birds that were raised in captivity. Condors 825 and 827 hatched at the World Center for Birds of Prey in Idaho about a year and a half ago. They were transported to Pinnacles in September and have spent the last few months in the park’s flight pen meeting the other condors in the area and adjusting to the climate. 827 took his first wobbly flight in the wild on November 29th, and 825 followed his lead on December 8th. Be on the lookout for these newest flock members as you hike around Pinnacles.

Contact Rachel Wolstenholme for additional information.