World CA Condor Update – 2022 Population Status

California Condor 521, wing tag J1, flies against a bright blue sky.

NPS Photo/ J. Donohue

Condor Enthusiasts -

Below is the population information on the California Condors, compiled by our partners at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as of December 31, 2022. For more comprehensive information about condor recovery check out their webpage. All California Condor flocks are part of the same metapopulation (small, geographically separated, but similar populations). All information provided here is compiled by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service from the many CA Condor recovery partners.

TOTAL WORLD POPULATION = 561

Number of wild-fledged chicks = 9
Number of birds newly released into the wild from captivity = 31
Note: the Pacific Northwest Flock was newly established as a wild flock in 2022!!
Number of mortalities in the free-flying population = 20

TOTAL CAPTIVE POPULATION = 214

Captive Breeding is conducted at the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey, Los Angeles Zoo, San Diego Zoo and Safari Park and Oregon Zoo in the U.S. and Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City, Mexico.

Number of captive breeding pairs = 43
Number of captive hatched chicks = 44
Number of captive adult deaths = 0
Chicks held for release in 2023 = 39

WILD, FREE-FLYING POPULATION TOTAL = 347

For details about individual birds, check out CondorSpotter.com which has the wing tags and information on all of the U.S. free-flying California Condor flocks. If you click on the flock name, a list of flocks will appear for you to choose from.

NEW: Pacific Northwest Flock, USA [est. 2022]:

Wild fledglings: 0 Releases: 8 Mortalities: 0 2022 Total Size: 8

Yurok Tribe Condor Restoration Program Page
Redwood National Park Condor Reintroduction Page (U.S. National Park Service)
U.S. National Park Service Condor Page

Baja California Flock, Mexico [est. 2002]:

Wild fledglings: 1 Releases: 0 Mortalities: 1 2022 Total Size: 40

Parque Nacional Sierra de San Pedro Martir (Mexico National Park Service)
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service International Program (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)

Central California Flock, USA [est.1997]:

Wild fledglings: 3 Releases: 8 Mortalities: 7 2022 Total Size: 94

Pinnacles National Park Condor Profiles (U.S. National Park Service)
Ventana Wildlife Society Condor Page
U.S. National Park Service Condor Page

Arizona/ Utah Flock, USA [est. 1996]:

Wild fledglings: 4 Releases: 9 Mortalities: 5 2022 Total Size: 116

Grand Canyon National Park Condor Page and SW Updates (U.S. National Park Service)
Zion National Park Condor Page (U.S. National Park Service)
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Condor Page (U.S. National Park Service)
The Peregrine Fund On Facebook as CondorCliffs
U.S. National Park Service Condor Page

Southern California Flock, USA [est. 1995]:

Wild fledglings: 1 Releases: 6 Mortalities: 7 2022 Total Size: 89

Hopper Mountain Refuge (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)

WILD BIRD MORTALITY NOTES:

• From 1992 through 2023 there have been 126 documented deaths from lead poisoning in the free flying population.
• Lead poisoning is responsible for 49.8% percent of the 253 condor deaths where a cause of death has been determined.
• Free-flying Condors are presumed dead after missing for more than 365 days.