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Junipero (663) was the second chick to have been laid and raised in the wild by Shadow (209) and Tiny (236), having been preceded by his sister, Miracle (538). Both chicks are a testament to spectacular parenting skills and represent the return of wild-raised condors. Not surprisingly, Junipero (663) is one of our wildest birds. He took his first flight in the shadow of Junipero Serra Peak, the tallest mountain in the Big Sur coast range, hence his nickname "Junipero". Since he had not been handled before fledging, he did not have a radio transmitter or identification tag. He eluded capture for over a year, and we were only able to keep tabs on him if we saw him hanging out with other condors. We didn't even know if he was male or female since the sexes are visually indistinguishable. We were extremely excited when the Pinnacles National Park condor team trapped him for the first time in the summer of 2013. Junipero (663) was fitted with a radio transmitter and tag, and we used blood samples to determine his sex. Now that he was able to be tracked more closely, biologists learned that he spent most of his time along the Big Sur coastline but had begun venturing from his natal territory to explore inland areas near Pinnacles National Park. He even made a trip down to the southern California flock and back!
In 2021, Junipero (663) paired with Pinnacles National Park Condor (438). These two birds were raising a chick together in a redwood tree in Big Sur when tragedy struck and Junipero (663)'s mate died of undetermined causes. This left Junipero to care for the pre-fledged chick on his own. After Condor (438)'s death, Junipero battled his own health issues, including losing his left leg to unknown causes. Sadly, Junipero (663) and Condor (438)'s chick was declared dead in 2022 after it was noticed that Junipero (663) had abandoned his nesting territory and his chick had not been seen for over a year.
The resilience of the California Condor never ceases to amaze us, however, and Junipero (663)'s story of survival and perseverance is no exception. Despite the tragedy and hardships that Junipero (663) has endured, he was still able to make an incredible comeback. With only one leg to stand on, the necrotic portion having fallen off during the healing process, Junipero (663) continues to fight for his place at the carcass and has re-established his place in the central California flock's hierarchy.
In 2021, Junipero (663) paired with Pinnacles National Park Condor (438). These two birds were raising a chick together in a redwood tree in Big Sur when tragedy struck and Junipero (663)'s mate died of undetermined causes. This left Junipero to care for the pre-fledged chick on his own. After Condor (438)'s death, Junipero battled his own health issues, including losing his left leg to unknown causes. Sadly, Junipero (663) and Condor (438)'s chick was declared dead in 2022 after it was noticed that Junipero (663) had abandoned his nesting territory and his chick had not been seen for over a year.
The resilience of the California Condor never ceases to amaze us, however, and Junipero (663)'s story of survival and perseverance is no exception. Despite the tragedy and hardships that Junipero (663) has endured, he was still able to make an incredible comeback. With only one leg to stand on, the necrotic portion having fallen off during the healing process, Junipero (663) continues to fight for his place at the carcass and has re-established his place in the central California flock's hierarchy.
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