California Condor Population Surpasses 1,000 for First Time in a Century

The California condor, once the most endangered bird in North America, has reached a population of 1,000 for the first time since the early 1900s. In 1987, only 22 individuals remained — all captured for an emergency breeding program. Now, thanks to four decades of painstaking conservation, wild condors soar over the Grand Canyon, Big Sur, and Baja California, with 680 living in the wild and 320 in breeding facilities.

"This is proof that we can pull species back from the very edge of extinction," said Dr. Mike Wallace of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. The recovery involved eliminating lead ammunition (the condors' primary poison source), establishing protected nesting sites, and releasing captive-bred birds into carefully managed territories. Each condor still wears a GPS transmitter, and biologists monitor the population daily.

“In 1987, only 22 individuals remained — all captured for an emergency breeding program.”