My Girl H9

California Condor Background: 
California Condors are one of the most endangered birds in the world. 
In 1982 only 22 birds remained in the wild.  When that number dropped to 22, Wildlife officials began trapping them all. The controversial plan was to build up their numbers in captive breeding programs and then release them into the wild. We now have 561 California condors with 341 free-flying and 214 captive populations.
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This is the story of one highly endangered California Condor’s 
life and loves.

Female H9: Hatched at the Oregon Zoo in 2008. Like all condors she wears her unique tag# (H9) on her wings, along with a tracking device.

H9’s hangout, Navajo Bridge: 470’ tall - spanning Marble Canyon (just outside Grand Canyon National Park, Az.) Actually 2 bridges, fairly close to one another, one for cars and one for walking. The girders beneath provide a protected place for condors 

2015: Her first & only love:
We watched while H9 shamelessly flirted & chased eligible bachelor #54 around the girders of Navajo Bridge. Always a girl who knew what she wanted and went for it. After this, we never saw them apart.
Their fans named them “Most Photogenic Couple”


May 2017: Nest Watch: Of course H9 would nest within view of Navajo Bridge. Hundreds were able to view both parents turning the egg. Condors don’t build a nest, but plop the egg down on a cave floor.
Then sadness: Baby #891 found deceased in its cave at 1 mos. old.
Not unusual for mates to lose the first baby. Did anyone tell H9?

2018: Healthy baby girl X2 is born: now 5yrs old

2022: H9 removed from population for long painful treatment of lead poisoning. Condors come in contact with bullets left within a carcass & this is the number one killer of wild condors.
When she returns, 54 is waiting, but too late for a nest. 

2-6-23: My Girl Gone: Was it lead poisoning again?
Never will I see her soar over the wild desert and canyons. 
Never will I whisper softly to her, “There’s my Girl.”

I had such a hard time writing this, but I wanted my blip friends to know her.


Extras: 
1.   Baby X2 at 1yr still with parents
2-   Handsome 54 at the nest
3.   H9 looking up at me from below Navajo Bridge