And the birds do well with conservation! In 2012, California condor fans were treated to a new view of their favorite conservation comeback success story: they got to watch a chick grow up from hatching to fledging live on Condor Cam! Staticoy (left) was the first fluffy chick that the world followed, and he made quite an impression on bird lovers, classrooms, and even parents and their children, who tuned in regularly to watch the charismatic little condor’s progress.

2012 was also an exciting milestone for the Hawaiian alala: after the highly successful hatching season in 2011, with 19 healthy chicks (left and above), the breeding program had now hatched more than 125 of these critically endangered birds and had reached the crucial level of population growth that would allow for reintroductions. The 2012 breeding season saw its first egg hatch on May 13 as the program staff were starting to plan release sites, supplemental feeding and veterinary care, and ongoing monitoring, once the birds were released to their native Hawaiian forests once again—something they hoped could take place within the next five years.