Los Angeles Zoo Welcomes Five California Condor Chicks

Five California condor chicks have hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo since March, and according to the announcement Monday, there could soon be more chicks to coo over.

“Our condor pairs here are having a pretty epic egg-laying season so far, and they are not done yet," said Mike Clark, the zoo's condor keeper. “We are seeing excellent fertility in the eggs produced so far, and we expect four to five more eggs before the 2024 laying season is over.”

The condor chicks will be released when they reach around 18 months into areas across California, Arizona and Baja where they will take their place as the the largest bird in North America.

The zoo’s California Condor Recovery Program

The Los Angeles Zoo is home to the California Condor Recovery Program, which is led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 1983, only 22 California condors were known to exist. That number is now at 561 as of December, with over 300 of the birds living in the wild.

A photo of one of the California condor chicks pipping — the process of breaking through the egg shell.

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Courtesy of L.A. Zoo

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The California condor population started declining because of hunting and more people moving to the West and encroaching on food sources. The Fish and Wildlife Service eventually made the decision to capture the condors and breed them in captivity to save the species.

California condors still continue to experience threats, especially lead poisoning when they accidentally consume bullet fragments in animal remains.

Can you see the condors?

The L.A. Zoo’s condor population isn’t part of its regular exhibit. But Hope, one of the zoo’s condors that can’t be released into the wild, makes an appearance in the World of Birds show at noon every day, except for Tuesdays.