California Condor #208 aka "Solo"

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 14, 1999 Release Date: March 4, 2000 Hatch location Los Angeles Zoo Sex: Female Current Status: Partnered with Beak Boy (#168) Offspring: Foster mother of #429, genetic mother of #431 Current location: Big Sur, CA

Solo has been an explorer her entire life. She knows the backcountry and the south coast intimately, and preferred to roam these remote places alone until she became an adult and paired with Beak Boy. Her preference for the areas least accessible to humans has meant that Solo can be very difficult to track. It also means that she spends a lot of time in hunting territory - putting her in danger of feeding on carcasses killed with lead bullets. In November 2005, Solo suffered severe lead poisoning and was transferred immediately to the LA Zoo. Through a lot of intensive treatment by the highly qualified staff, her life was saved.

In 2006, Solo and "Beak Boy" (#168) chose to pair-bond together and they have been inseparable ever since. The one tiny tension in their partnership is that Solo prefers the backcountry east of the Santa Lucia Mountains, while Beak Boy prefers the coast south of Big Sur. Solo was able to raise her foster chick #429 to the age where she had left her nest and was learning how to fly, known as "fledging". When a chick fledges, the nest is considered "successful". Unfortunately, the fledgling died shortly after she learned to fly. In 2009, Solo and her mate lost their chick at 3-months of age.

These two have a territory along the south coast of Big Sur, closing a 97 year absence of condors in that area since the last condor was officially reported there in 1909! Although they have had several nesting attempts together, we continue to hold our breath and cross our fingers for this regal pair's future family.

Wild Population

Field Notes

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Geography