Old Couple

On the first day in Grand Canyon National Park with my Regional Field Geology class, two California Condors flew right past us. Shocked, we continued to talk about geology, but hoped they would fly by again. Instead, they landed on a rock outcrop no more than 100 feet away from us and sat in the brilliant morning sun, displaying their tags. Wondering about the history of 33 and 87, I did some research after getting home and discovered they are one of only five mated pairs in Arizona. They're also two of the oldest California Condors still alive; the female, 33, is the last remaining survivor of the first release of Condors into Arizona. These two birds are clearly part of a bigger story than mine!