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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Life History
Lead Poisoning
Hatchday: June 9, 2003
Release Date: September 25, 2004
Hatch location San Diego Wild Animal Park
Sex: Male
Current Status: Paired with Pinanacles Condor #317
Offspring: Foster father of #550 (Pinnacles National Monument chick from 2010)
Current location: Monterey and San Benito County, CA.
Benito has been a steady sort of a fellow his entire life. He is now sexually mature, but in Big Sur, many of the condors are older and more aggressive than he is. He spends almost all his time over at Pinnacles National Monument where he is one of the oldest condors. Without the older condors around constantly demonstrating their dominance, Benito can relax and perhaps occasionally harass the younger condors.
With the lack of older birds around Benito paired with #317 and has chosen an excellent nest site within the park boundaries. Unfortunately their two nesting attempts have not been successful. The first nest in 2010, the chick was removed to the zoo because of lead poisoning. During the second attempt in 2011, the nestling was removed due to an injured wing, possibly caused by taking a tumble from a ledge near the nest cave. We have high hopes that this bird will mend in the patient and caring hands of zoo vets so that it can make a comeback at a later time.
