Clackamas County, United States – Seven California condor chicks have hatched over the past week at the Oregon Zoo’s Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation, marking a strong start to the 2026 breeding season.

The facility reported that the new hatchlings represent an encouraging step in ongoing efforts to save the critically endangered species. Several additional fertile eggs have also been laid this year, with more chicks expected in the coming weeks.

Nicole LaGreco, who manages the zoo’s condor recovery program, said all seven chicks are feeding and resting well in their nests. She added that they are still very small but growing quickly under parental care.

With only about 600 California condors remaining worldwide, each new chick is considered highly significant for the survival of the species.

The chicks will remain with their parents for at least eight months before being moved to pre-release enclosures for around one year. After that, they are expected to be transferred to release sites in California and Arizona to join wild populations.

The California condor is listed as critically endangered and was among the original species included in the Endangered Species Act of 1973. By 1987, all remaining birds had been brought into human care after numbers fell to just 22 in the wild in 1982.

Recovery efforts at the Jonsson Center take place in a remote area designed to limit human contact and improve survival chances for young birds once released.

Since 2003, more than 140 chicks have hatched at the center, and over 100 zoo-raised condors have been moved into field pens for release. Some eggs have also been placed into wild nests to hatch naturally.

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