A rare sighting of a California condor in Oregon gave conservationists and Pacific Northwest bird enthusiasts something to cheer.
It was the first time since 1904 that a free-flying condor had been documented in the state, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
What happened?
B9 is a little more than two years old. The Yurok Tribe's condor restoration program released her into the wild last year.
Her trip into the Beaver State unfolded over four days last month and covered a roughly 380-mile loop.
She flew north from Redwood National Park, passed through Redding, and then entered Oregon, where sightings were reported near Medford, Cave Junction, and Brookings.
By the 1980s, California condors were on the brink of extinction, and the remaining wild birds were taken into a breeding program.
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Since then, tribal nations, wildlife agencies, and conservation groups have worked to bring the species back.
Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department Director Tiana Williams Claussen highlighted how far B9 traveled in such a short time.
"She flew almost 100 miles per day," Williams Claussen told OPB, adding that the bird was "really utilizing the landscape the way that only a condor can."
Why does it matter?
The Yurok Tribe has been releasing condors since 2022, and B9's flight suggests the birds may move back into parts of their historic range on their own.
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Another sign of progress came in March, when two Yurok condors nested in a redwood cavity and laid the Northern California flock's first egg, though it did not hatch.
The tribe now has 23 condors in the wild, and all have passed health checkups.
What are people saying?
Williams Claussen said B9's trip may offer a preview of what is ahead, noting that condors are highly social and that other birds could follow her into Oregon.
She also described the moment as further evidence that the restoration effort is succeeding.
"Our condors are doing exactly what condors need to do: exploring and learning the landscape in a way that is very wild and free and a good indicator of their success over the long term," she said. "... Even with the egg loss, that was still a really amazing milestone for us."
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