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Andean Condor
Vultur gryphusAndean region

  • Generalities
  • Morpho-functionality
  • Lifecycle
  • Distribution

RECORRIDO VIRTUAL POR LA BIODIVERSIDAD DE COLOMBIA
Museo de Historia Natural
Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Andean Condor
Vultur gryphus

It is the largest of the vultures in the new world. National symbol of many countries in Latin America including Colombia, it has been present in the mythology of Andean cultures such as the Inca. They feed on corpses at least one or two days old, when looking for their food they prefer areas with wide open spaces. It is distributed throughout the entire Andes mountain range, however, in Colombia and Venezuela the populations have drastically decreased to almost extinction.

Conservation status

Extinct

Extinct in the Wild

Critically Endangered

Endangered

Vulnerable

Near Threatened

Least Concern

Not Evaluated

Data Deficient

Morpho-functionality

Flight

They use warm air currents that spiral off cliffs to fly on for hours with very little effort, searching for carrion.

Legs

The back toe is less developed, but the middle finger is much longer than the other toes, this allows it to grip better in the rocks on the cliffs.

Head

Their head does not have feathers, which makes it easier for them to cleanse themselves of the waste and fluids that the dead animals they feed on have.

Lifecycle

Two and a half months before mating begins, the pair of condors choose the nest site and perch near it. The breeding period varies geographically; in Colombia it appears to be from April to December. They nest in mountain cliffs and caves without building a nest. The clutch consists of a single egg of about 280 g, which is incubated by the two parents for 54 to 58 days. The chick is cared for by both parents and feathers at six or seven months, however, it continues to be cared for until almost two years. Juveniles reach sexual maturity between six to eleven years of age. The condor has a longevity of 50 years.

Andean Condor

Distribution

It is a resident of the mountains of South America from western Venezuela to southern Tierra del Fuego. They are rarely seen in Venezuela, and have very diminished populations in Colombia and Ecuador, while the best population densities occur in Peru, Chile, and Argentina, where they inhabit large areas of highland grasslands, desert and coastal areas. It has been recorded at elevations above 5,500 m.

Distribution area