The first two chambers of the Condor Breeding Facility were originally constructed in 2020 with a grant from The Peregrine Fund. This non-profit organization is working to prevent the extinction of birds of prey. Their strategy stands upon three transformative outcomes: conservation, engagement, and capacity. The capacity component will be built by assembling the infrastructure, facilities, and people, and raising sufficient funds to execute the actions needed to reach measurable, time-bound goals on an iterative five-year planning cycle. And that’s where this expansion came in.
This expansion project started in July of 2024. The design was completed by Hatch Design Architecture who specializes in avian design and has been working with Forge Building Company since 2017. The existing structure consisted of two open chambers (constructed in 2020) which only provided the capacity for a total of 4 condors (2 pairs per chamber).
The additional 4 chambers being built will enable the facility to bring in 4 new pairs of condors (8 more birds) to increase conservation efforts.
“We have really enjoyed working with Forge on this project,” said Jeff Hatch, owner and principal of Hatch Design Architecture. “Their craftsmanship is remarkable and their structural expertise has enabled us to keep our construction budget in line providing us with great suggestions and cost-effective solutions that are key for projects like this.”
In 1967 the California condor was listed as endangered by the federal government under the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, and in 1979 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service established the California Condor Recovery Program.
The species historically ranged from California to Florida and western Canada to northern Mexico but by the mid-20th century, condor populations had dropped dramatically. By 1982, only 22 condors survived in the wild, in an effort, to avoid extinction of the species, the service and partners began to capture the remaining wild condors. Five years later, all remaining wild condors were in captivity and a captive breeding program to save the species was underway.
Today, the service, and its public and private partners, have grown the total wild free-flying condor population to more than 300 condors. In 2004, the Recovery Program reached an important milestone with the first successful chick hatched in the wild. In 2008, another major milestone was reached when more condors were flying free in the wild than in captivity for the first time since the program began. The Condor Breeding Facility in Boise breeds the condors and then does a satellite release on the border of Arizona and California.
“Communication and teamwork along with the ability to collaborate have made this project with the Forge team run very smoothly,” Hatch continued. “We love their attention to detail, especially when we are working to deliver a quality product within strict budget parameters. We are looking forward to opening the new chambers by this coming Spring – just in time for the breeding season.”
For anyone interested in donating to help the condors, please see: https://peregrinefund.org/projects/conservation-breeding-condor.
