Happy 30th Hatch Day, Condor 123! California Condor 123 is the oldest bird in our flock at 30 years old! He hatched on May 20th, 1995 at the LA Zoo and was released at Vermillion Cliffs in Arizona on May 27th, 1997. He spends most of his time at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, often welcoming visitors at the Grand Canyon Village. With his breeding grounds being in the Grand Canyon, he’s a rare visitor to the Vermilion Cliffs condor release site. He’s fathered four offspring, his first being Condor 305. In 2003, 305 made history in the recovery effort, becoming the first condor to successfully fledge in the wild. This accomplishment brought a renewed sense of hope to the recovery program, with Condors 123 and 127 (his mate) paving the way for more wild-fledged condors. Help us in wishing 123 a happy birthday and many more to come! 📷 Thomas Frauman | Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library (fb)

Back in May, two of our team members traveled all the way to Sucre, Bolivia for the 5th Andean Condor Conference and the 1st Symposium on Vultures of the Americas. The conference united experts from across the Americas and beyond to discuss the many threats affecting Andean Condors and other New World vultures. Both Evan Buechley (Vice President of Conservation—International Programs) and Tim Hauck (California Condor Program Director) presented at the conference in addition to attending. Evan’s presentation focused vulture conservation work in East Africa, while Tim’s focused heavily on lead exposure in California Condors and how we address the threat. The Peregrine Fund was also a formal sponsor of the conference, covering significant organizational costs. Tim and Evan were also able to enjoy a remote hike in Parque Nacional Curraso to view wild Andean Condors. The team heads home with a great deal of new knowledge about condor conservation and further opportunities for collaboration with our partners in conservation. Andean Condor 📷 Evan Buechley Evan (left) and Tim (right) 📷 courtesy of Evan Buechley (fb)