Historic California Condor Season of 17 New Chicks Reported by Los Angeles Zoo

The species is the largest land bird in North America with wings spanning nine-and-a-half feet. Zoo visitors can view the birds daily, except Tuesday.

A newly hatched condor chick at the Los Angeles Zoo during the 2024 breeding season. Courtesy of Los Angeles Zoo

Seventeen California condor chicks hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo in the 2024 breeding season, breaking the record of 15 set in 1997, zoo officials announced July 24.

The final chick of the season hatched in June and is thriving, according to the zoo. Each one will be a candidate for release back into the wild as part of the California Condor Recovery Program, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.