Washington Post: “Parthenogenesis, literally meaning ‘virgin origin’ in Greek, describes a form of reproduction in which an egg becomes an embryo without the introduction of sperm – and only a select few animals can do it. Often, they’re invertebrates like honey bees and scorpions. In rare cases, vertebrates like certain kinds of fish and snakes are capable of the ‘virgin births.'”
“Even more rarely do birds reproduce that way. Turkeys, chickens, pigeons and certain kinds of finches have laid eggs without the help of a male, though in most cases, their offspring died before they could fully develop. Now, scientists at the San Diego Zoo say the California condor – the largest flying bird in North America with a 10-foot wingspan – can be added to the list. In a paper published last week in the Journal of Heredity, the scientists said parthenogenesis has been observed in condors for the first time”