Condor egg at Oregon zoo

Last Saturday, the oldest "reproductively active" California Condor at Oregon Zoo laid the first egg of the breeding season. Tama laid the egg at the zoo's Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation, and she will sit on it for two weeks before zoo staff remove and candle it to see if it's developing normally.

If all is well, the egg will be incubated artificially until early to mid-April, when it is likely to hatch. Assistant Condor Curator Shawn St. Michael said, "Once we see an external pip, we will immediately return the egg to Tama."

The Jonsson center currently houses 17 condors. You can learn more about the zoo's role in the California Condor Recovery Program here.

Photo of Tama courtesy of Oregon Zoo