Researchers at the Ventana Wildlife Society were happily surprised to spot a mystery juvenile condor on their live cams.
The condor was spotted at the Big Sur, California sanctuary. It was accompanied by already-known adult condors #209, aka "Shadow" and #231, aka "Wild 1", which are a breeding pair. The researchers believe these condors were nesting in an isolated part of the Ventana Wilderness in the Arroyo Seco drainage and are most likely the unexpected bird's parents, the Society reported.
"This would be the third chick for #209, the suspected father, and is perhaps the best Christmas present we could ask for," said Kelly Sorenson, VWS executive director. "This is truly exciting to witness as it offers another example of condors surviving on their own."
The total California condor population is now at only 425 individuals both captive and wilds, 116 of which are living in the California wilderness. Condors can also be found in Baja California, Mexico, Arizona and Utah.
The researchers believe the unexpected sighting shows promise for the health of the scarce California condor population.
"As biologists, we strive to know everything about the flock, but when we get a curve ball like this it's a real pleasant surprise," Joe Burnett, the senior wildlife biologist and Big Sur condor project coordinator for the Ventana Wildlife Society told the San Francisco Chronicle. "It's just a sign of how well the flock is doing - that they are flying out on their own, making nests and breeding on their own."
The Big Sur flock is a result of a catch and release breeding program that took place in 1987.
"VWS recovers individual species and tracks the populations of many others so that conservation can be timely as well as effective. Focusing on youth education, we better ensure that future generations have the willingness and capacity to help wildlife. Our vision is to have a society who cares for and supports wildlife across the planet, particularly in California," the Society stated.
