The Andean condor is the largest bird of prey ever recorded. Not yet the way of the DoDo, the Andean condor is an endangered species. Its cousin, the California Condor, is now extinct in the wild. This enormous animal can reach lengths to 54 inches in length and boasts a wingspan of nearly 10 feet! It has a bare grayish red head with a white ring on its neck. Its feathers are shiny black with large white patches and eats with a hooked bill that is ivory in color. Average weight of the Andean Condor is 25 pounds, with the male being slightly larger than the female.
Like its name says, the Andean Condor's habitat encompasses the entire range of the Andes Mountains. However, the largest concentrations are found on the West Coast of South America from Venezuela to Chile. This species legacy dates back to 60 millions years ago. Fossilized records show that the Andean Condor's distant relative, Teratornis Incredibilis, which translated means "Unbelievable Bird Monster", dominated the airways in prehistoric times. It had a 16 to 17 foot wingspan!
There are many legends surrounding the Andean Condor. It was a messenger to the gods, which flew into the upper world (hanan pacha) to carry prayers to the gods. It embodied intelligence and exaltation. The Incas believed that every morning the Condor carried the sun up into the sky and at Machu Picchu a condor is engraved in a wall. In some villages they ate the Andean Condor's eyes, hoping that they would inherit the condor's excellent vision. Not exactly what one would consider an appetizer, but to each his own!
These magnificent birds can be viewed in the Andes of Venezuela, circling the peaks of Pico Aguilar. Captive raised, from the San Diego Zoo, these birds were released in 1992 and have now migrated as far as the boundaries of Colombia. Another viewing opportunity is composed of three adjoining protected areas in Ecuador (Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve, Antisana Ecological Reserve, and Cotopaxi National Park), the 1.6 million-acre Condor Bioreserve offers sanctuary for the largest remaining population of the Andean condor, the majestic national symbol of Ecuador. Many Amazon tributaries originate here and this is the water source for Ecuador's capital, Quito. The reserve contains Amazonian rain forest and Andean peaks, with a wide variety of habitats in the altitudes in between. In addition to the Andean condor, these varied habitats house such rare and endangered species as the jaguar, mountain tapir and South America's only bear species, the Andean bear.
Road construction, slash-and-burn agriculture, ranching, logging and poaching are just a few of the threats that endanger the existence of these rare and beautiful creatures. Hired, trained and equipped rangers throughout the area are working hard to maintain the delicate ecological balance between man and nature. Ecologically sound and economically viable alternatives are being implemented in local communities, including ecotourism and agroforestry, to preserve future generations of endangered species.
National Geographic has written an article about viewing Condors in Colca Canyon.
Please contact
us with your bird watching request in Peru, Venezuela, or Ecuador.
