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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Sept. 3, 2026) — The Santa Barbara Zoo is celebrating International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) on Saturday, September 5, with a day dedicated to some of nature’s most important—and often misunderstood—birds. From keeper talks and hands-on games and activities to opportunities to connect with conservation partners, guests will discover why vultures, including California condors, are essential to healthy ecosystems and learn how the Zoo and its partners are working together to protect one of the world’s most endangered birds.
Vultures are nature’s cleanup crew, consuming carrion and helping recycle nutrients through ecosystems. Their scavenging may also help reduce the spread of bacteria and disease, making these often-overlooked birds an important part of a healthy landscape.
At the Santa Barbara Zoo, guests can visit two very different members of the vulture family: California condors and Veronica, the Zoo’s beloved 29-year-old turkey vulture. Found as a chick in Northern California, Veronica was deemed non-releasable after becoming dependent on people during rehabilitation. She has been part of the Zoo family since 2007. Now 29, Veronica is an enthusiastic participant in training sessions and has developed quite a reputation among the Zoo’s staff.
“Veronica has a big personality, and she is incredibly intelligent,” said Maureen Morlock, a Santa Barbara Zoo keeper who works with Veronica. “When she is learning a new behavior, I feel like I can see the wheels turning as she figures it out. She is always watching what is happening around her, and I call her my favorite supervisor at the Zoo.”
The turkey vulture is one of three vulture species found in North America and is the most commonly seen vulture in the western United States. Their exceptional sense of smell helps them locate carrion, and California condors may follow turkey vultures to a carcass after they discover it.
While turkey vultures are thriving, California condors represent a very different conservation story.
With a wingspan of nearly 10 feet, the critically endangered California condor is North America’s largest soaring land bird. This long-lived scavenger can soar to heights of 15,000 feet and travel hundreds of miles in search of food. But by the 1980s, only 22 California condors remained in the wild, and the last remaining wild birds were brought into human care as part of an extraordinary effort to prevent the species from becoming extinct.
Today, more than 600 California condors exist, including a growing population in the wild. The Santa Barbara Zoo has been part of that recovery effort for nearly 25 years, becoming an official partner in the California Condor Recovery Program in 2002. As an AZA-accredited institution since 1982 and a longstanding conservation leader on California’s Central Coast, the Zoo plays an active role in condor conservation.
The California Condor Nest Guarding Program, developed by the Santa Barbara Zoo in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) with support from other Recovery Program partners, addresses threats that can cause nest failure, including microtrash ingestion by chicks. Conservationists monitor nests and intervene when necessary, helping increase nesting success and giving vulnerable chicks a better chance to survive.
The Santa Barbara Zoo also plays an important role in the California Condor Recovery Program’s managed breeding population. This week, the Zoo transferred two condors—one to the Oregon Zoo and one to The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho—as part of a coordinated effort to strategically pair birds and support future releases. These exchanges among Recovery Program partners help maintain genetic diversity in the managed population and ensure that condors can contribute to the species’ future in the wild.
“The recovery of the California condor is a reminder that conservation works when people, institutions, and communities come together with urgency and purpose,” said Charles Hopper, President & CEO of the Santa Barbara Zoo. “For nearly 25 years, the Santa Barbara Zoo has been proud to play a role in this extraordinary effort, from supporting field research and nest monitoring to helping inspire the next generation of conservation leaders. It is especially exciting to see the California condor become AZA’s newest SAFE species and to have one of our own conservation biologists, Nadya Seal Faith, selected to co-lead this collaborative effort.”
In June 2026, AZA approved California Condor as its 58th Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) species program, bringing together AZA-accredited zoos and conservation partners around a coordinated strategy for one of North America’s most endangered birds. The program builds on decades of work by zoos to support condor conservation in partnership with other organizations while creating a stronger, unified framework for advancing field conservation, veterinary care, genetic management, education, advocacy and fundraising.
The effort was initiated at the Santa Barbara Zoo, where Rachel Ritchason, former Director of Animal Care and Health and Condor Studbook Keeper, and Dr. Estelle Sandhaus, Vice President of Conservation & Science, helped create a pathway for greater AZA support of the California Condor Recovery Program. Today, Santa Barbara Zoo Conservation & Science Associate Nadya Seal Faith and Jenna Stallard of San Diego Zoo Safari Park co-lead SAFE California Condor, alongside a steering committee representing the AZA-accredited zoos that are partners in the California Condor Recovery Program. Over the next three years, the team will develop and implement the initial strategic goals, expand participation and strengthen partnerships critical to the condor’s continued conservation.
“AZA-accredited zoos have always been an integral part of the California Condor Recovery Program’s success, and now SAFE California Condor has the platform to bring alignment and enhanced AZA support—truly bringing zoos’ role in condor conservation to the next level. The Santa Barbara Zoo has been a partner in the California Condor Recovery Program for over two decades, so having the opportunity to work alongside San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s extensive experience with condor recovery creates a multifaceted leadership dynamic that will be the foundation of success for this program,” said Seal Faith.
Despite the remarkable comeback of the California condor from the brink of extinction, the species remains endangered and faces significant threats, including lead poisoning, microtrash ingestion, habitat loss, wildfire and emerging diseases such as highly pathogenic avian influenza. Because female condors typically lay just one egg every one to two years, every successful nest and every surviving chick represents an important step forward.
The Zoo’s vulture conservation work extends beyond California condors. Dr. Estelle Sandhaus, Vice President of Conservation & Science, leads AZA’s SAFE African Vulture program, which supports conservation efforts in Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania. These efforts include population and colony monitoring, satellite tagging, and rapid response to poisoning threats to protect species such as the critically endangered Rüppell’s vulture.
The Zoo’s conservation work is paired with an equally important mission: helping people understand why these animals matter and what they can do to protect them. Through the Zoo’s CondorKids curriculum, students learn about the California condor’s near-extinction and the ongoing efforts to rebuild its populations while discovering simple actions they can take to help wildlife. The curriculum is incorporated into school field trips, camps and preschool programs, connecting children with conservation science from an early age.
“When children learn about animals like the California condor, they ask, ‘What can I do?’” said Hopper. “Our job is to connect them to see themselves as part of the conservation story and give them tools that are tangible. That is how we build a more hopeful future, not only for condors, but for wildlife around the world. Connection leads to caring, and caring inspires action.”
International Vulture Awareness Day at the Santa Barbara Zoo
Saturday, September 5 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Guests can celebrate International Vulture Awareness Day with interactive games and activities highlighting nature’s cleanup crew, learn about local vulture species and watch special enrichment for the Zoo’s California condors and turkey vulture, Veronica. The event will also spotlight several species of African vultures participating in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ African Vulture SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) conservation program. The event is included with Zoo admission.
To help support and learn more about the Zoo’s California condor recovery program, please visit our website.
ABOUT SANTA BARBARA ZOO
The Santa Barbara Zoo is a leader in wildlife conservation, education, and community engagement, advancing efforts to conserve biodiversity and ecosystems in California and around the world. Beautifully located on 30 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Zoo is home to more than 360 animals representing over 97 species in open, naturalistic habitats designed to support animal wellbeing and conservation learning, all in service of its mission to conserve the natural world through education, science, and unforgettable experiences.
The Zoo is also home to California’s first licensed outdoor preschool, setting a new standard for nature-based early learning, and was the first AZA-accredited zoo on the West Coast to become a Certified Autism Center, reflecting its commitment to inclusive, accessible education for all. The Santa Barbara Zoo is located at 500 Niños Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. Visit sbzoo.org.
