The Condor Cave

The Condor Cave Flights, camera, action! The stage is set to watch a wild condor nest develop from hatch to fledge. We take the term ‘birdwatching’ seriously.

For several years we have observed condor nests in Southern California to address some of the most serious threats facing chicks and fledglings. Due to this effort, we have been able to identify and address various threats to chick development and California condor nesting success has soared. Now, we invite you to join the action. Using impressive technology, a lot of planning, and some creative t

hinking – we were able to bring you the first wild California condor nest camera! It all started with one camera in 2012; at that time we introduced video clips of female #79 and male #247 raising their chick, #654, from its start inside the egg until its first flight from the nest cavity. In 2013, #79 and #247 nested again in the same cavity, making our lives easy! This allowed us to utilize the original nest camera and share video footage of this pair raising another chick in the spotlight. We also installed an additional nest camera in female #147 and male #63's nest at Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge. Condor Cave followers had the opportunity to share in the excitement of seeing this pair's first chick, #712, fledge from its nest in early November. So stay tuned…every year we will post video clips, photos, and information about current breeding activity and condor nests in Southern California. Get involved, ask us questions, and learn about the incredible recovery effort for this endangered species.

09/04/2026

This week we welcomed ten young California condors to our flight pen at Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge! These birds were carefully raised in captive breeding facilities at the Los Angeles Zoo and the Oregon Zoo. They are all about a year and a half old. After a few weeks acclimating in our flight pen, they will be released into the wild and will give a vital boost to our flock’s population. We’re so excited to have them! Huge thanks to the captive breeding programs who make this possible.

Video by Diego Bisbal

Video description: A biologist opens a large crate and a California condor with a blue tag with a white 61 hops out into a large flight pen.

Hate to burst the bubble everyone, but this is not a condor and a baby condor... (it's a condor and a turkey vulture) He...
08/27/2026

Hate to burst the bubble everyone, but this is not a condor and a baby condor... (it's a condor and a turkey vulture)

Here in California we have the distinct pleasure of having two native vulture species, California condors (of course!) and turkey vultures. Turkey vultures are much more widely spread, ranging from Canada all the way down to the tip of South America and they are much more prevalent, with global population numbers in the millions.

Turkey vultures are about half the size of California condors, with a distinct reddish head. Watching their flight, they are much more unsteady in the air than a condor and while California condors have a distinct white triangle on the leading edge of their wings, turkey vultures have a light gray band on the trailing edge of their wings.

Condors do love their turkey vulture friends though, as one of the only birds in the world with a proven sense of smell, turkey vultures are able to "sniff" out the best carrion on the landscape. With their keen eyesight, condors can spot congregating turkey vultures consuming carrion and "invite themselves" over for dinner.

Photo by Martin Fletcher.

California condors agree: there's nothing like a cool, refreshing creek dip on a hot day. Deep in a rugged and isolated ...
08/18/2026

California condors agree: there's nothing like a cool, refreshing creek dip on a hot day. Deep in a rugged and isolated canyon, far underneath a protected cliff nest, we found these meandering California condor tracks leading to a perfect swimming hole.

Photos by Amy List, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

08/14/2026

Hungry, hungry chick!

The Pole Canyon chick is now three months old and is really starting to make the transition into adulthood. Now is the time when we start seeing the gray down feathers being replaced by the black adult feathers that will eventually carry this little one aloft. This is when we also start seeing behavioral changes such as more time spent outside the nest cavity. Adults, such as the sire seen here, encourage this by enticing their chicks outside for a "tasty" meal.

Video by Molly Murphy, Santa Barbara Zoo, courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Video Description: The video starts with a view of a cliff, chaparral dotting the sides, nest cavity in the middle. An adult condor stands just outside the cavity facing towards the viewer and a three-month-old condor chick comes out flapping its wings and walking towards the adult for a feeding session.

Who's that there, lurking in the cave? It's a California condor chick, of course! We were happy to see two of this year'...
07/29/2026

Who's that there, lurking in the cave? It's a California condor chick, of course!

We were happy to see two of this year's four nestlings doing well last week. Despite the south-facing aspect of their caves and the soaring temperatures in Southern California, they seem to be hanging in there and hiding out in the shade as much as possible. Imagine your only water source being regurgitated meat!

Photos by Dave Meyer, Santa Barbara Zoo

Wheeeee!California condor 939 takes to the skies.Photo by Molly Murphy, Santa Barbara Zoo
07/22/2026

Wheeeee!

California condor 939 takes to the skies.

Photo by Molly Murphy, Santa Barbara Zoo

"You told everyone that I p*e on my legs? You do it too! I saw you yesterday! It's a perfectly natural cooling mechanism...
07/13/2026

"You told everyone that I p*e on my legs? You do it too! I saw you yesterday! It's a perfectly natural cooling mechanism."

What do you think these condors are discussing?

Photo by Shannon Sommer

07/05/2026

Happy Fourth of July 🎆

Our Pole Canyon chick is wing-flappingly excited to celebrate this special semiquincentennial aka Happy 250 America!



Video by Molly Murphy, Santa Barbara Zoo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Video Description: a view of a rocky cliffside cavity with an adult condor perched in the center view. A condor juvenile comes into view flapping is wings and walking out towards the adult.

I spy with my little eye - an untagged juvenile!The annual spring trapping season has officially begun and what a way to...
06/26/2026

I spy with my little eye - an untagged juvenile!

The annual spring trapping season has officially begun and what a way to start. The first condor trapped and worked up was an untagged juvenile regularly seen at Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge for the past several weeks. While we have our suspicions that it may be the recently fledged chick from just south of the Refuge, only time (and a DNA test) will tell!

Photo by Molly Murphy, Santa Barbara Zoo, courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The gorgeous, healthy egg from our Pyramid Lake nest has hatched into an adorable, fluffy chick! We're thrilled to confi...
06/16/2026

The gorgeous, healthy egg from our Pyramid Lake nest has hatched into an adorable, fluffy chick! We're thrilled to confirm that everything is going well and condor parents #856 and #976 are dutifully attending their little ball of fuzz.

Photo by Molly Murphy, Santa Barbara Zoo, courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Ventura, CA
93003

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Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

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+18056445185

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