Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) was first detected in the US in 1996 with new variant outbreaks occurring every few years. When a new variant emerged in January 2022, the California Condor Recovery Program implemented protocols to prevent its potential spread to these critically-endangered birds. Condors evaded the virus until 2023, when an outbreak in Arizona killed 21 condors in 18 days. Many feared HPAI might spread outside of Arizona, because of the condors’ social proclivity to feed and roost together. In response, Ventana Wildlife Society, who co-manages the Central California Condor population with Pinnacles National Park, retrofitted flight pens and began construction of a quarantine facility in the event of a future outbreak. USFWS, in collaboration with USDA, conducted vaccine trials in hopes of protecting Condors against the deadly virus. Lead poisoning remains the leading cause of death for Condors, and while HPAI symptoms are nearly identical to those of lead poisoning, their management differs significantly. The emergence of HPAI as a novel threat to condor survival highlights the need for an adaptive management response, one which allows for the flexibility and ingenuity necessary to overcome the many obstacles condors face to recovery.