Four young California Condors took flight from the Vermilion Cliffs on September 26, 2026, marking 30 years of recovery efforts. According to an October 18 statement from The Peregrine Fund, the birds joined a wild flock from the same location where six condors first flew in December 12, 1996.
The released birds, identified as Condors 1365, 1341, 1382, and 1353, were hatched and raised at the World Center for Birds of Prey propagation facility in Boise, Idaho. Condor 1353 was raised in Barn 4, a breeding facility expanded through a 15-year commitment from WECAT LLC. Before their release, the birds traveled to Arizona in early September to prepare. During their first days in the wild, all four birds demonstrated strong, controlled flight and have eaten from carcasses provided by the team near the release site.
The release took place on National Public Lands Day, with The Peregrine Fund and the Bureau of Land Management welcoming the public to Vermilion Cliffs. A crowd of nearly 900 people gathered at the viewing area below the cliffs. The release began at 11 a.m. MST when the pen doors opened. Condor 1365 was the first to fly, followed by Condor 1341 about 35 minutes later. Condors 1382 and 1353 left the pen seconds apart at the 45-minute mark.
The Arizona–Utah recovery effort is a cooperative program involving the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, tribal partners, and The Peregrine Fund. In the 1980s, only 22 California Condors remained on Earth. Today, there are more than 600 California Condors worldwide, with over half living in the wild. Nearly 100 condors now fly free across Arizona and Utah, though lead poisoning remains the leading cause of death for the species.
The Peregrine Fund field team will continue to closely watch each bird as they settle into life in the wild.
