California Condor #161 aka "Matriarch"

Condor #161 aka "Matriarch" Condor #167 aka "Kingpin" Condor #168 aka "Beak Boy" Condor # 171, aka "Traveler" Condor #190, aka "Slope Slug" Condor #192 aka "Purist" Condor #194, aka "Whalewatcher" Condor #199, aka "The Great One" Condor #204, aka "Amigo" Condor #208 aka "Solo" Condor #209 aka "Shadow" Condor #219 aka "The Rock" Condor #222 aka "Cosmo" Condor #231 aka "Wild1" Condor #236 aka "Tiny" Condor #242 aka "Red" Condor #251 aka "Crush" Condor #286 aka "Pinns" Condor #294 aka "Late Bloomer" Condor #298 aka "Plain Jane" Condor #303 aka "Lucia" Condor #311 aka "Loner" Condor #318 aka "Benito" Condor #375 aka "Survivor" Condor # 444, aka: "Ventana" Condor #470 aka "Fuego" Condor #477 aka "Phoenix" Condor #499 aka "Gypsy" Condor #501 aka "Spirit" Condor #538 aka "Miracle" Condor #567 aka "McWay" Condor #574 aka "Nomad" More profiles of Pinnacles Condors

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Hatchday: May 10th, 1997 Release Date:: December 12, 1997 Hatch location San Diego Wild Animal Park Sex: Female Current Status: Partnered with # 107 and in living in southern California Offspring: #326 (2004) and #509 (2009) both living in another flock. Current location: Ventura County, CA

"Matriarch" is a special bird indeed and has a long list of "firsts" in her history. She belonged to the first cohort of condors released to fly free in Big Sur since the last wild condor population was recorded in Monterey Country around the turn of the last century. She enjoyed cruising over the Big Sur coastline until 2002, when she was one of the first birds to begin a grand exploration of southern California with some other Big Sur released condors. She returned often to Big Sur, but gradually spent more and more time mingling with the condor flock in Ventura County. Eventually she was the first Big Sur released condor to successfully merge with the Southern California flock and she ended up choosing to pair with the most dominate male there, condor #107. Matriarch has been a permanent resident and consistent breeder at Hopper Mountain ever since 2002 and in 2004 she was the first mother to successfully fledge a wild chick since the reintroduction program started. Consequently her chick, #326 was the first wild reared condor to nest in the wild since 1984. Unfortunately, his nest attempt in 2011 failed when his mate unexpectedly died of lead poisoning shortly after she laid their egg in an historic condor nest site deep in the Sespe wilderness. When #326 nests and fledges his first chick, Matriarch will be the first wild grandmother condor in all California! Until then let's keep rooting for her son, #326!

Wild Population

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