For the first time in over a century, California condors appear to be nesting in the Pacific Northwest — and it's happening on the ancestral territory of the Yurok Tribe.
Program officials announced in early March 2026 that female condor Ney-gem' Ne-chween-kah (A0) and her mate Hlow Hoo-let (A1) are likely incubating an egg in an old-growth redwood cavity along the Redwood Creek drainage in Northern California. The conclusion was drawn from GPS satellite flight data and behavioural shifts — the two birds alternating stays at the nest site in the way condor parents do during incubation.
The nest is too remote to confirm directly, but the evidence is strong. If the egg hatches, it will be the first condor chick born in the Pacific Northwest in more than 100 years.
The Yurok Tribe's Restoration Vision
This milestone didn't happen by accident. The Yurok Tribe — California's largest federally recognised tribe — launched the Northern California Condor Restoration Program (NCCRP) in 2008, driven by the cultural and spiritual significance of the condor, known in the Yurok language as prey-go-neesh.
"The condor is our relative," the tribe has said. "Bringing them home is part of healing the land."
The first cohort of four condors — including A0 and A1 — was released in 2022. Both birds are now nearly seven years old, having just reached sexual maturity for their species. The program plans to continue annual releases for at least 20 years, with the goal of establishing a self-sustaining Pacific Northwest flock.
There are currently 24 condors flying within Yurok ancestral territory as part of the NCCRP, in partnership with Redwood National and State Parks.
From 22 to 607
The California condor's story is one of the most dramatic conservation recoveries in North American history. In 1987, the species was so critically endangered that every surviving wild condor — just 27 individuals — was captured and placed in a captive breeding programme. The last wild condor was caught on April 19, 1987, in Ventura County, California.
The decision to capture all remaining birds was controversial at the time. Some conservationists argued it was giving up on nature. Others believed it was the only chance to save the species.
They were right. Intensive captive breeding, combined with lead ammunition reduction campaigns, habitat protection, and community engagement, rebuilt the population from the ground up.
Today, 607 California condors exist worldwide, of which more than 300 are flying free in the wild. The species has been reintroduced to California, Arizona, Utah, Baja California (Mexico), and now — potentially — the Pacific Northwest of Oregon and Northern California.
First-Time Parents Face a Learning Curve
Biologists are hopeful but tempering expectations. California condors often struggle with their first breeding attempt — first-time parents have a relatively high rate of failed nests, and they typically raise only one chick every one or two years.
But even the act of nest-building is a significant milestone. "This is a huge moment," program officials said when announcing the likely nest. It confirms that the condors are not just surviving in the region — they are behaving as if they belong there.
If the egg hatches successfully, it will mark a new chapter in one of conservation's most celebrated recoveries.
Sources: Mongabay · Los Angeles Times · North Coast Journal · Yurok Tribe Northern California Condor Restoration Program · Redwood National and State Parks (March 2026)
