Three wild-hatched condor chicks take flight.

Condor 753 has fledged.

In October, a Weekly cover story took a close look at this particular chick, and why his wild hatching from a healthy egg laid in wild Big Sur spells hope for the endangered scavengers. It also raises the stakes on efforts to stop the use of lead ammunition, the birds' biggest survival threat.

Now he and fellow Big Sur chick 729, along with this year's third wild-hatched Central Coast baby—745, nesting in Pinnacles National Monument—are exploring their worlds by air.

Ventana Wildlife Society offers this update in its Field Notes blog:

"753 and 729 have taken their first flights away from their nest sites and are busy exploring their natal canyons under the close watch of mom and dad. If you are condor-watching on the coast, look for these two new additions to the flock with their gangly flights, dark heads, and green '53' and '29' wing identification tags." (745's tag reads, '45.')

VWS staff add this in today's email newsletter: "Like nervous parents, Ventana Wildlife Society staff wait and watch as these three young males embark on this new phase of life. Staff will track their progress as they navigate the challenges of finding their place in the flock and sourcing food."