The Oregon Zoo is incubating five California condor eggs to aid the species’ recovery, with over 140 chicks raised since 2003.

The Oregon Zoo has received five California condor eggs in early 2026, part of a critical recovery effort for a species with only about 560 individuals left worldwide. Eggs, laid by several pairs including long-time breeders No. 544 and 189, are incubated for fertility, while parents care for dummy eggs to maintain nesting behavior. Some pairs are encouraged to lay second eggs through “double clutching” to boost genetic diversity. Chicks stay with parents for at least eight months before moving to pre-release pens for about a year before being released into the wild in California and Arizona. The zoo’s Jonsson Center in Clackamas County has helped raise over 140 chicks since 2003 and contributed to the species’ rebound from a low of 22 birds in 1982. Funding comes from federal support, foundations, and private donors.