Friends of California Condors Wild & Free

Friends of California Condors Wild & Free Friends of California Condors Wild & Free is a nonprofit organization with the mission of enhancing public awareness of the endangered California Condor.

We are a group of dedicated volunteers that provide educational and outreach programs through community presentations, conducting guided tours on the condor refuges, organizing refuge work days, staffing condor viewing booths, and participating in microtrash cleanups. In 1987 California condors were on the verge of extinction, with fewer than 30 alive, as the last free flying condor, AC9, was take

n from the wild. With the help of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Condor Recovery Program, and public support, AC9 and other condors were returned to their natural habitat beginning in 1992. The greatest threat to the California Condors living in the wild is lead. The primary source is from lead fragments that the California Condors eat along with the meat from animals shot within their feeding range. More information on alternatives to lead ammunition can be found at www.huntingwithnonlead.org. Sadly more condors continue to die from ingesting lead each month including 428, called the wanderer for her long flights, including two to Kings Canyon. She had just reached breeding age. Find details for upcoming events here and on the Events page of our website. As of 2021 there are over 500 California Condors alive in the world, with more than 300 of those flying free in California, Arizona, Utah, and Baja California, Mexico. Friends of California Condors Wild & Free continues to help with the condor’s success. We are the voice of the California Condor for future generations.

Nice work!
06/21/2026

Nice work!

Alan Coles never gave up on maintaining the sublime yet underutilized trails near Lake Piru. The Pothole Trail in particular, north of the lake and leading into Los Padres National

Happy Fun Fact Friday 🎉Even though it’s summer, our mornings can be cold. Did you know California condors can use and mo...
06/19/2026

Happy Fun Fact Friday 🎉

Even though it’s summer, our mornings can be cold. Did you know California condors can use and move their neck feathers to create a “scarf” 🧣to keep warm?!
These feathers, called a ruff, can be moved and adjusted, lowered in the hot weather to keep cooler, and raised in the colder temperatures to provide extra insulation around their heads and neck; retaining body heat.

Images by: S. Sommers

From trash duty to Bird Curator working to save condors. Thank you Bill!
06/16/2026

From trash duty to Bird Curator working to save condors. Thank you Bill!

A young bird enthusiast went from picking up trash at a zoo to raising condorsShare this article.BILL TOONE’S LOVE for birds began when he was just six years

06/15/2026

In 1967, a one-year-old California condor was found weak and malnourished in the mountains of Ventura County, weighing just 17 pounds. Rescuers brought him to the Los Angeles Zoo. After ten days of rehabilitation, they released him back into the wild. But no adult condors were nearby. He could not survive on his own. He was returned to the zoo permanently.

They named him T**a T**a. He became the first California condor to live in a zoo. In 1978, he became the first to be exhibited to the public. By then, the species was running out of time. The wild population fell to just 22 birds. In 1987, every remaining condor was captured and brought into managed care. The survival of the species would depend entirely on breeding in captivity.

T**a T**a sired his first chicks in 1993. He kept producing. Over the following decades, his genetic line grew to roughly 300 descendants. As of April 2026, 94 of them are flying free in the wild.

The total California condor population has now grown from 22 to more than 600 birds. The species is still classified as Critically Endangered. Lead poisoning remains the leading cause of mortality for wild condors, and recovery depends on continued breeding, monitoring, and release.

T**a T**a is 60 years old. He still lives behind the scenes at the LA Zoo's Condor Recovery Center, and he is still producing chicks. He arrived as a fledgling that could not feed himself. Six decades later, his descendants outnumber the entire population that existed when his species nearly vanished.

Sources: Los Angeles Zoo / CBS Los Angeles / U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service / KTLA

It’s not surprising that lead is killing condors, since that has been their number one killer for years and years. What ...
06/15/2026

It’s not surprising that lead is killing condors, since that has been their number one killer for years and years. What is surprising, is that they are still getting lead-poisoned despite the ban on hunting with lead ammunition. New research has identified some reason reasons why

California condors are making a comeback, but researchers say a surprising threat is still slowing the birds' recovery: lead ammunition.

Thank you to everyone who came out to help make our Condor Country Nature Festival a success. It was great seeing all of...
06/14/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out to help make our Condor Country Nature Festival a success. It was great seeing all of the volunteers and all of the guests having a wonderful time!

06/13/2026

Come have a wild time at the Condor Country Nature Festival at Shiell’s Park in Fillmore CA

Happy Fun Fact Friday!!Have you ever wondered why California condors necks or faces seem to change size?! That’s because...
06/12/2026

Happy Fun Fact Friday!!

Have you ever wondered why California condors necks or faces seem to change size?!

That’s because condors have specialized air sacs that can inflate and deflate, located on their necks and cheeks! They can inflate these air sacs, showing off their vibrant colors 🌈 These air sacs serve several purposes, one being for using communication among other condors. They may also inflate these sacs during courtship, or to show aggression or even excitement. California condors do still have standard air sacs internally, as do all birds, in addition to their lungs.

So the next time you see a condor maybe you will notice this display🤞

Happy Fun Fact Friday!!Did you know that The Oregon Zoo has hatched at least 7 California Condor chicks this season?! Mo...
06/05/2026

Happy Fun Fact Friday!!

Did you know that The Oregon Zoo has hatched at least 7 California Condor chicks this season?! More chicks are expected but all are growing and eating well thus far! Eventually these chicks will be moved to a pre release site, awaiting their chance to free fly in the wild! https://www.oregonzoo.org/news/seven-chicks-and-counting-zoo-welcomes-first-california-condor-chicks-2026

California condor chicks will stay with their parents for at least 8 months, relying on them for food and learning the ins and outs of becoming a wild condor in the future!

Breeding recovery programs like the Oregon Zoo have become a resource for population increases, numbers totaling over 600 now!

Images by USFWS

06/04/2026

Address

5333 Zoo Dr
Los Angeles, CA
90027

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