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Beak Boy (168) was fostered by a pair of Andean Condors (which are larger and stronger than California Condors). His foster parents accidentally injured him during a feeding and his beak was broken. Bird beaks are very sensitive and this injury took time to heal before he could be released. He has fully healed, but sports a regal, prominent bump on his beak. Beak Boy (168) is now one of the more dominant males in the Big Sur flock and holds his own when vying for a spot at a carcass.
In 2006, Beak Boy (168) paired with Solo (208). They were inseparable and appeared to have the happiest "marriage" of any of our paired birds. In 2007, they became the first pair to lay a fertile condor egg in the wild in Monterey County in over a century. VWS Biologists were unsure about the health of their first wild egg, so the egg was taken to LA Zoo. Their chick, Condor (431), was later deemed genetically irreplaceable.
In June of 2008, Condor (431) and seven other condors were evacuated from a pre-release holding pen in Big Sur after a close call with a large wildfire. Condor (431) was successfully released later that year at Pinnacles and eventually reunited with her wild parents in Big Sur in early 2009. After several more nesting attempts, Beak Boy (168) and Solo (208) successfully fostered Redwood Son (665) to the wild in 2012 and, as expected, were spectacular parents! Since then, this pair successfully nested several times. Their most recent successful nesting attempt was in 2014 when they raised Ninja (729).
On December 5th, 2024, Solo (208) was found deceased at the Big Sur condor sanctuary. It is always difficult when we lose a condor, especially one with so much knowledge and experience. Beak Boy (168) then repaired with a female cared for by Pinnacles National Park's condor crew - Condor 970. She laid an egg and then passed away from lead poisoning. In an incredible display of dedication, Beak Boy (168) incubated the egg entirely on his own for 25 days. The chick hatched on April 16, 2025 and is still being cared for by its single dad. Raising a chick alone in the wild is no small feat, and this Beak Boy (168)'s perseverance reminds us just how devoted these birds are when it comes to their young!
In 2006, Beak Boy (168) paired with Solo (208). They were inseparable and appeared to have the happiest "marriage" of any of our paired birds. In 2007, they became the first pair to lay a fertile condor egg in the wild in Monterey County in over a century. VWS Biologists were unsure about the health of their first wild egg, so the egg was taken to LA Zoo. Their chick, Condor (431), was later deemed genetically irreplaceable.
In June of 2008, Condor (431) and seven other condors were evacuated from a pre-release holding pen in Big Sur after a close call with a large wildfire. Condor (431) was successfully released later that year at Pinnacles and eventually reunited with her wild parents in Big Sur in early 2009. After several more nesting attempts, Beak Boy (168) and Solo (208) successfully fostered Redwood Son (665) to the wild in 2012 and, as expected, were spectacular parents! Since then, this pair successfully nested several times. Their most recent successful nesting attempt was in 2014 when they raised Ninja (729).
On December 5th, 2024, Solo (208) was found deceased at the Big Sur condor sanctuary. It is always difficult when we lose a condor, especially one with so much knowledge and experience. Beak Boy (168) then repaired with a female cared for by Pinnacles National Park's condor crew - Condor 970. She laid an egg and then passed away from lead poisoning. In an incredible display of dedication, Beak Boy (168) incubated the egg entirely on his own for 25 days. The chick hatched on April 16, 2025 and is still being cared for by its single dad. Raising a chick alone in the wild is no small feat, and this Beak Boy (168)'s perseverance reminds us just how devoted these birds are when it comes to their young!
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