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Ninja (729) is fortunate to follow in the footsteps of his foster brother, Redwood Son (665). He was hatched in the same nest tree; a giant redwood with a burned out cavity high up in the branches. He showed up to our field station in mid-January of 2015 after thoroughly exploring his natal canyon for three months after fledging. Ninja acquired his name after the first time he was trapped to replace a broken transmitter. He evaded biologists as they tried to net him; biting, kicking, and bouncing around the pen with power and incredible agility.
In 2020, Ninja (729) became infamously known as the condor who raided baby Iniko (1031)'s nest after the Dolan Fire claimed the life of her father, Kingpin (167). The ensuing fight between Ninja (729) and Iniko's mother, Redwood Queen (190), caused all three birds to tumble from the nest to the ground. Ninja (729) most likely saw an opportunity to take over Kingpin (167)'s former territory resulting in the melee. Not to worry, though, as all three of these birds survived the fall. Ninja's behavior in this scenario is considered to be completely normal for a California Condor and we still love him despite the commotion that he caused! (See the explore.org nest cam footage of this incident below.)
In 2020, Ninja (729) became infamously known as the condor who raided baby Iniko (1031)'s nest after the Dolan Fire claimed the life of her father, Kingpin (167). The ensuing fight between Ninja (729) and Iniko's mother, Redwood Queen (190), caused all three birds to tumble from the nest to the ground. Ninja (729) most likely saw an opportunity to take over Kingpin (167)'s former territory resulting in the melee. Not to worry, though, as all three of these birds survived the fall. Ninja's behavior in this scenario is considered to be completely normal for a California Condor and we still love him despite the commotion that he caused! (See the explore.org nest cam footage of this incident below.)