C0020 California Condor 0602
AC-4 Continues to amaze. So the oldest and last remaining California Condor in the wild from the original 22 birds taken into captivity in the mid-1980s has another story to tell. He was released back into the wild after 30 years of captive breeding in 2015. The following year he fathered a wild chick born in the same area he was born in in Santa Barbara County almost 40 years ago. Well, earlier this year an untagged juvenile showed up that AC-4 was observed hanging out with. This would have been normal if it were not for the fact that shortly after AC-4 paired off with female #654 last year (and an egg was confirmed between them) #654 was assumed deceased after a loss of tracking signal. Condors split duty between father and mother incubating eggs and feeding newborn chicks. In order for this untagged juvenile to be the offspring of AC-4 that meant AC-4 would have had several weeks of incubating the egg and many months of supplying food to the youngster by himself. A task that was deemed impossible. And here's the "well". Well, DNA results are in ... AC-4 is the father. So what was thought impossible, was not impossible at all, at least not for AC-4. The fact that we have California Condors still here today is an accomplishment of not only the hard work of the dedicated biologists, handlers, Rangers, DNA experts, surgeons, veterinarians and hunters who have switched to non-lead ammunition ... but also because of the incredible will to survive and adapt of these birds. If you're in Ventura or Santa Barbara County and happen to see a Condor with an orange tag with the black numbers 20 on it, tip your hat, you're seeing something legends are made of. Way to go AC-4.
C0020 California Condor 0602
AC-4 Continues to amaze. So the oldest and last remaining California Condor in the wild from the original 22 birds taken into captivity in the mid-1980s has another story to tell. He was released back into the wild after 30 years of captive breeding in 2015. The following year he fathered a wild chick born in the same area he was born in in Santa Barbara County almost 40 years ago. Well, earlier this year an untagged juvenile showed up that AC-4 was observed hanging out with. This would have been normal if it were not for the fact that shortly after AC-4 paired off with female #654 last year (and an egg was confirmed between them) #654 was assumed deceased after a loss of tracking signal. Condors split duty between father and mother incubating eggs and feeding newborn chicks. In order for this untagged juvenile to be the offspring of AC-4 that meant AC-4 would have had several weeks of incubating the egg and many months of supplying food to the youngster by himself. A task that was deemed impossible. And here's the "well". Well, DNA results are in ... AC-4 is the father. So what was thought impossible, was not impossible at all, at least not for AC-4. The fact that we have California Condors still here today is an accomplishment of not only the hard work of the dedicated biologists, handlers, Rangers, DNA experts, surgeons, veterinarians and hunters who have switched to non-lead ammunition ... but also because of the incredible will to survive and adapt of these birds. If you're in Ventura or Santa Barbara County and happen to see a Condor with an orange tag with the black numbers 20 on it, tip your hat, you're seeing something legends are made of. Way to go AC-4.