These condors may be incubating the species’ 1st wild egg in Northern California in 130 years

When conservationists in Northern California received a transmitter alert a couple months ago that a male condor had been motionless for several hours, they feared the worst.

Instead, it turned out to be wonderful news. 

“He was just hunkered down so well on an egg and incubating,” Chris West, a wildlife biologist with the Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department, told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. 

The team hasn’t visually confirmed the existence of an egg. But the movements of the male bird and his mate indicate they are taking turns guarding a nest deep in the forest of Redwood National and State Parks, and incubating its precious contents

If they’re right, and the egg hatches, the chick will be the first of its species to be born and raised in the wild in Northern California in about 130 years.

It’s a huge milestone for the Yurok Tribe, which has been working with federal and state officials for 17 years to reintroduce the birds to the region after European colonists drove the species to the brink of extinction. 

“Two birds doing what they do and making this next generation of wild birds for the region is just — it’s incredible,” said West, who manages the Northern California Condor Restoration Program.

Meet the region’s 1st wild mating pair

California condors, one of the largest flying birds in the world, were once abundant along the west coast, all the way from B.C. to Mexico. But poaching, habitat loss and lead poisoning from firearms gutted the species. 

In the 1980s, there were only about 20 California condors left in the wild. Today — thanks to extensive conservation, captive breeding and re-wilding programs  — there are 392. 

Of those, just 24 live in Northern California, which began releasing condors in 2022.

But a pair of winged lovers bring hope that those numbers will grow.

The female, A0, was bred at the Oregon Zoo and is called Ney-gem’ ‘Ne-chween-kah in Yurok, which translates to “she carries our prayers.” Her mate, A1, was born at the World Center for Birds of Prey. He’s known as Hlow Hoo-letl or “at least I fly!”

West says his team first noticed a spark between the two creatures last year, when they would often disappear together. 

“As soon as you see a male and female of breeding age spending time away from the rest of the group, you really get suspicious, because they’re very social and they hang out in large social groups,” he said.

Condors only lay one egg a year, and those early dalliances between Hlow Hoo-letl and Ney-gem’ ‘Ne-chween-kah did not lead to any offspring.

But this year, the couple began their trysts again, and have both since hunkered down in a remote area, leaving only in turns to snack on carcasses.

West is confident their movements — or lack thereof — indicate the presence of an egg. This kind of tracking, he says, is the standard way scientists monitor nests in remote areas.

Wild condor breeding, he says, has previously been established at sites in Central and Southern California, Arizona, Utah, and Baja, Mexico.

‘Inexperienced parents’

West says they won’t know for another week or two whether the egg has successfully hatched. It’s possible that it won’t.

“These are really inexperienced parents,” he said.

In the early days, the father flew away from the nest for longer periods of time than is advisable, potentially long enough for the egg to cool and lose viability.

“After a few days he really got locked in and he has spent periods of time in there — up to eight days straight — without leaving. So he’s doing a really good job now,” West said,

Whatever happens, though, the prospect of an egg is a sign of hope. 

“This is all a learning process for them. And if they do fail, then they try again next year,” he said. “These birds will get there. Just might take them a little bit of time.”