KQED's The California Report Despite Protections, The California Condor Struggles
Mar 23, 2026
A deep dive into why California condors keep dying from lead despite legal protections. Scientists reveal how freer-flying birds face unexpected poisoning risks. Reporting also covers a controversial county election probe and debates over ag‑tech investment and farmworker displacement.
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Recovery Depends On Captive Breeding
- Condor recovery relied heavily on captive breeding after numbers fell to 23 in 1982 and wild releases began in the 1990s.
- Despite protections and a 2019 lead-ammunition ban, most condors are still dependent on captive releases and not self-sustaining.
The 1987 Captive Rescue And Slow Wild Return
- In 1987 conservationists captured the last wild condors and launched an intensive captive-breeding program.
- Wild releases began in the early 1990s and the first successful wild-hatched chick occurred about 20 years later.
Tiny Lead Fragments Still Kill Condors
- UC Santa Cruz researchers found lead remains the leading cause of condor deaths even after legal bans.
- Condors ingest tiny slivers of lead from carcasses and a single small fragment can be fatal, keeping mortality high.