Condor A0 and A1, happy times. Video: Yurok Tribe.
The first eggs laid by a population of free-flying Pacific Northwest condors appear to have failed, based on analysis of the birds’ behavior and flight patterns. However, the data is not conclusive and may remain so for several weeks. Since we cannot approach the nesting site, we will continue to observe the behavior of the parent birds to confirm.
Biologists with the Northern California Condor Restoration Program (NCCRP) suspect the nest failed because prospective parents A0 and A1 spent extended periods of time together far from the nest site, at a time when parental care for potential hatchlings is needed for the chicks to survive. A variety of problems could have occurred, including infertile eggs, improper hatching to cool the eggs, and failed hatching. If the eggs fail to hatch, the pair could try to breed again this spring, a process biologists call recycling, or more likely try again next year.
“Although it is unlikely that the first egg will ever leave the nest, we are still happy to have taken the first step towards successful breeding. We remain hopeful that it will happen this year and look forward to future endeavors, knowing that the time for the first wild chicks to fly free in their homeland is yet to come,” said Yurok Wildlife Service Director Tiana Williams-Clausen.
New condor parents often face difficulties maintaining their first eggs due to limited experience with the complex hatching process. Even if the eggs fail, there is reason to be optimistic. The older and more experienced condor parents are, the much more likely they are to produce viable offspring.
“Compared to the first breeding season, the condor’s second breeding season has a much higher chance of successful incubation because condors learn from their mistakes,” said Chris West, Northern California Condor Restoration Program Manager and Yurok Wildlife Service senior biologist.
Some condors may begin nesting at age 5 or 6, but it is much more common to begin nesting at age 7. It is hoped that the two 7-year-old condors A0 and A1 have done well in breeding. The oldest birds in the flock, they are leading the way for recent additions to the roster of condor release sites.
Program staff first noticed the nesting behavior of Condors A0 (Neigem, Neutschwienker) and A1 (Flo Houlet) in early February, but because the nesting sites were far apart, they were unable to actually confirm the eggs. After searching for an ideal location for several months, A0 likely laid its eggs in a cavity in an old-growth redwood tree in the Redwood Creek drainage.
Free-flying since 2022, A0 (Studbook 973) and A1 (Studbook 969) are among the first condors reintroduced to Northern California. There are currently 23 condors living in the wild within the Yurok ancestral territory. With the goal of establishing a self-sustaining condor colony, NCCRP plans to release at least one group of birds each summer for at least 20 years.
A0 or Ney-gem “Ne-chween-kah” (meaning “She carries our prayers”) was the only woman in the first released NCCRP cohort. Hatched at the Oregon Zoo on March 31, 2019, she is the oldest condor in the herd and will be released at the NCCRP site in 2022.
A1, nicknamed “Hlow Hoo-let” meaning “Finally I (or we) can fly!” is 10 days younger than A0 and hatched on April 10, 2019 at the Peregrine Foundation’s World Bird of Prey Center in Boise, Idaho.
Condors are slow breeders, with females laying only one egg at a time and typically nesting only every other year. Young condors take months to learn how to fly and more than a year to rely on their parents. They do not become sexually mature until they are at least 5 years old.
Most commonly, condors remain paired with a mate for many years, but if one dies, they seek a new partner.
Condors generally begin breeding between the ages of 6 and 8 and can live for over 60 years. The next oldest male and female condors in NCCRP’s care are male A2 (Stud Book 1010) Neskwechok, who is 6 years, 1 month old, and female A7 (Stud Book 1109), who is 4 years, 10 months old.
Northern California Condor Restoration Program
The Northern California Condor Restoration Program is a partnership between the Yurok Tribe and Redwood National and State Parks (NPS). The program receives funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of American Indian Affairs, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, World Conservation Fund, Redwood National Park Foundation, and small donations from the public. The Yurok Nation initiated the condor reintroduction project in 2008 as part of a long-term effort to restore the landscape within the Yurok ancestral territory. This landscape is closely tied to the health and well-being of the Yurok people. Restoration of the California condor (prey neesh in the Yurok language) is an important part of this environmental and cultural revitalization effort. Alongside the condor recovery, the Tribe is also working on several other wildlife conservation projects, implementing extensive fish habitat restoration throughout the Klamath River and its tributaries and surrounding areas.
NCCRP is part of the California Condor Recovery Program. The program is an international, multi-party effort led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to recover the endangered California condor by establishing a robust, self-sustaining condor population within its historic range.
If you would like to support the Yurok Tribe’s condor restoration efforts, please visit this link.
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