Andean condor couple Lianni and Lurch are brooding a new egg after losing a chick — a rarity in captivity — last year at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh’s North Side.
Food is being brought in for Lianni, whose 36th birthday was Thursday, as she is on nest duty. Lurch steps in to care for the egg when she takes a break. Andean condors can successfully breed to age of 50, according to the Aviary.
Andean Condors, with a wingspan of more than 10 feet, are among the largest birds in the world that can fly. They nest on cliffs and typically lay one egg a year. The aviary’s Andean Condor breeding program is part of a global effort to save Andean Condors, which are threatened throughout much of their range and critically endangered in Ecuador.
Although the Aviary is closed to the public, workers continue to care for the birds. Lianni and her avian friends are fed daily by a team of aviculturists.
The fertile egg is expected to hatch in late May to early June, according to the Aviary. Last year, the couple’s only egg hatched on June 7. The chick, which died two days later, was the first Andean Condor to hatch at the National Aviary since 2007 and, at that time, was the only Andean Condor chick to hatch at an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo in North America.
Dr. Pilar Fish, senior director of zoological advancements and avian medicine at the Aviary, said that Lianni is a special bird.
“She overcame so much, and seeing her enjoy her life in the National Aviary’s Condor Court habitat is a real treat,” she said.
In 2012, Lianni fell ill and needed a blood transfusion, a procedure that had never before been done on a condor. An Aviary team collected small samples of blood from 15 birds of prey, and a first-of-its-kind blood bank was established. The transfusion was a success, but Lianni required daily care and heart medication. She now lives a normal, active life.
The public can see Condor Court, which is outside in front of the Aviary and visible from Arch Street.
“Passersby can see Lianni incubating her egg and enjoying other natural behaviors like sunning and bathing,” Fish noted.
