Condor Biographies:

Tama (Condor 11)

Tama was captured from the wild in 1985 when an estimated 17 birds remained in the wild. Coming from the wild, Tama is extremely valuable as a breeding founder bird. Tama has laid numerous eggs and successfully raised many chicks. Tama's experience in the wild allows her to teach her chicks how to survive once they are released. Tama is also known for her dominant personality. She has built a reputation as a girl who likes her space. She never shies from conflict with other female birds, and usually comes out victorious.

Mandan (Condor 46)

As is the case in the wild, male condors run the show. Mandan is no exception, as he quietly maintains order in his own laid-back and relaxed way. His parents came from the wild, but he was puppet-reared in captivity, making Mandan a first-generation bird in the recovery program.

Condor 137 and 147

Condor 137 and his mate 147 are a very successful condor parenting team. The unnamed condors were already a pair when they arrived from the Los Angeles Zoo. They have successfully fostered several chicks at the Oregon Zoo and the Los Angeles Zoo. After 147 laid her first egg at the Los Angeles Zoo, the keepers successfully encouraged her to accept a chick after only 11 days of incubating a "dummy" or an artificial egg. Normal incubation time for a condor egg is between 54 and 58 days. It was uncertain how many days a condor would incubate a dummy egg before accepting a fully hatched chick in its place. But, she accepted the chick and has proven to be a great condor parent.

Ojai (Condor 37)

Ojai (pronounced "O-hi") is a quiet bird. In line with normal condor behavior, her mate Atishwin appears to be the dominant bird in the pair. However, Ojai does have her limits. Often, a male will push his mate to try to sample food to determine if it is safe, and this is one thing that Ojai refuses to do.

Woy (Condor 72)

Woy (pronounced "Wo-ee") and Wiloq became a successful breeding pair for the first time in 2005 (sadly, their first chick did not survive). Keepers describe both Woy and Wiloq as laid-back birds and are hoping for successful future breeding. They seem to be the "homebodies" of the condor group.

"Woy has always been a doting dad," says Shawn St. Michael, assistant condor curator. "He's helped his chicks learn how to feed, communicate, groom and just be well-rounded condors, with all the skills that are critical for wild survival."

Wiloq (Condor 159)

Wiloq (pronounced "Wee-lock") laid her first egg in 2005, with mate Woy. As a first-time mother not knowing what to do, Wiloq laid in the holding pen instead of the nest room and her egg cracked in the process. The egg was repaired and sent to the San Diego Wild Animal Park; unfortunately, the chick died during the hatching process there.

Paxa (Condor 23)

Paxa is a proven breeder and an excellent father. However, his "interior decorating" talents have garnered him the most fame. Decorations have included a calf leg, rabbit spine, and a number of large primary feathers. When Paxa was nest grooming early in the breeding season, keepers observed that he spent hours in the nest room getting everything just right. Oh, and he likes his nest room quiet.

Sawlu (Condor 172)

Sawlu hatched in captivity at the Los Angeles Zoo in May of 1997. After moving to the Oregon Zoo, she laid her first egg in 2005 and became the mother of Meriwether. Like any new parent, Sawlu was a bit nervous and shocked with the arrival of her new chick, but she has proven to have strong maternal instincts and Meriwether has grown to be a happy, healthy condor. Sawlu tends to be a more passive condor and prefers to have her mate take the lead role in most situations.

Mali (Condor 145)

Mali hatched in captivity in the Los Angeles Zoo in June of 1996 and was hand reared there until he was about seven months old. On January 14, 1997 he was released into the wild and experienced the real world for the first time. He spread his wings and soared out in the open air for about five months. Mali was monitored while he was living in the wild to make sure he successfully made the transition. Unfortunately, it was noticed that he was behaving inappropriately towards people, and he was brought back into captivity on June 4, 1997. Mali is a very curious bird and loves to explore his surroundings, possibly because of his taste of the wild.

Condor 174

Like Mali, 174 got a brief taste of living in the wild. She hatched in captivity in March of 1998 in the San Diego Wild Animal Park and lived there for a little over a year. On her release date, March 24, 1999, she freely flapped her wings in the wild. She remained in the wild until May 17, 1999, when she sadly had to be brought back into captivity. 174's strong personality could explain why she behaved inappropriately towards people while in the wild. Even though 174 didn't make it in the wild and was brought back into captivity, she is still a success story. Every addition to the condor population counts!

Atishwin (Condor 73)

Atishwin means "Spirit Helper" and this is the perfect name for our majestic male condor. Atishwin has helped his fellow condor population by becoming a father with his mate Ojai to his first chick in 2007. He was voted "Father of the Year" because of his great affection for both the egg and the chick. He is our largest bird and can be a little intimidating, weighing in at 23 pounds. He is often seen standing on his snag branch watching the world go by. Atishwin's greatest service to the condor population will be to continue producing strong, healthy chicks that will grow up to be just like their dad.

Inaja (Condor 35)

One of the oldest condors at the Oregon Zoo, Inaja (pronounced "In-ya-ha") was hatched in May of 1984. She was the eighth condor hatched in captivity at the San Diego Zoo and spent the majority of her life paired with a male named AC 2. Inaja is a very good mother and she and AC 2 raised multiple chicks together in San Diego. Sadly, AC 2 passed away in 2005 and Inaja is still grieving. When introduced to a new adult male for a possible mate, she showed serious aggression and they needed to be separated. Inaja arrived at the Oregon Zoo in March 2006.

Willie (Condor 348)

Willie was hatched at the Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise in May 2004 and was raised by his parents. Unfortunately, while Willie was a young chick, one of his parents accidentally injured one of his eyes. Although he has learned to compensate with his normal eye, he will not be released into the wild because his injury puts him at a disadvantage. Willie might not have made it in the wild, but he has been extremely helpful to the other birds, serving as a captive mentor for young pre-release condors.

Tatoosh (Condor 367)

Tatoosh was the 2nd condor hatched at Oregon Zoo's breeding center. "Tatoosh" is a word from the Makah Tribe meaning "Thunderbird." This name is also the namesake of an island belonging to the Tribe off the Olympic Peninsula that comes from a chief given the name Tatoosh (also Tatooche).

Meriwether (Condor 379)

When Meriwether hatched in the spring of 2005, it was a huge celebration for his keepers, not only because it was the emergence of a healthy chick, but also because it was her mother Sawlu's first experience at motherhood. Although Sawlu was initially startled after laying her first egg, once Meriwether hatched, she proved to be a great parent with strong maternal instincts. Now Meriwether is a full-fledged condor ready to take on the wild.

Kun-wak-shun (top) and another condor in flight over Big Sur
Photo©: D. Moen

Kun-wak-shun (Condor 340)

Kun-wak-shun is our #1 super star! When his parents Tama and Mandan produced his egg on March 10, 2004, it was the first condor egg laid in Oregon ever recorded. His egg was nicknamed "the Golden Egg." Chief Nelson Wallulatum of the Wasco Tribe from The Dalles named this bird Kun-wak-shun. In the Kiksht language this means "Thunder and Lightening" and is a reference to the sacred Thunderbird of the Columbia River.

Kun-wak-shun emerged from his shell May 9, 2004 with his foster parents, condors 137 and 147, anxiously watching and assisting with the removal of eggshell fragments as needed. Assistant condor curator Joe Burnett commented, "Hatching is a life and death struggle, but this is just the beginning for this chick. From here it will grow and learn from its foster parents over the next six months, and then, eventually, face its ultimate challenge—release into the wild."

After intense "boot camp" training and pre-release socialization with adult mentor birds, 15-month-old Kun-wak-shun was ready to be released at Ventana Wilderness Society's condor release pen in Pinnacles National Monument (central California). On September 17, 2005 he took his first flight into Pacific skies. He was fitted with a GPS satellite tracking tag prior to release so that biologists could map his daily movements and keep a watchful eye on his progress. So far he holds the record for the farthest flight of any released bird in California and he continues to boldly represent Oregon-reared condors free-flying in the wild.