Across Africa, work is underway to halt the catastrophic decline of vultures – but new information reveals that other African savanna raptors are experiencing similarly alarming rates of decline. The Andean Condor’s plight is sparking fears that the crisis that brought many Asian and African vultures to the edge of extinction has spread to South America. The Secretarybird, an iconic African savannah species, is Endangered © Michael Potter11 / Shutterstock However, the species’ reclassification as globally Vulnerable underlines the need to scale up conservation work and collaborate with governments to strengthen anti-poisoning laws. Researchers across the Americas are surveying and satellite-tracking wild populations to gain further insights into its movements. In 2014, Antisanilla Biological Reserve was set up in central Ecuador to safeguard one of the most important Andean Condor nesting sites. Thankfully, captive breeding, community education and habitat restoration programmes are underway across the condor’s range. To lose it now would be a tragedy for South American culture and ecosystems alike.” “This iconic raptor has been found in Andean folklore since 2,500 BC. But humans are ruining its natural ‘live slow, die old’ life strategy, causing high death rates from which it is hard to recover,” says Ian Davidson, Regional Director, BirdLife in the Americas. It is also impacted by illegal use in folkloric events and trade, and can die from ingesting lead shot left in carrion. The bird is deliberately shot or targeted using poisoned bait in retaliation to extremely infrequent attacks on livestock. However, this majestic scavenger has seen rapid population declines in recent years due to persecution and poisoning. It is also one of the longest-lived bird species, with a natural lifespan of up to 70 years. With a wingspan of over three metres, the Andean Condor is one of the world’s largest flying birds, making an unmistakable silhouette as it soars above the Andes mountains at altitudes of up to 6,500 metres.
ANDEAN CONDOR WINGSPAN UPDATE
This year, the emblematic species had its threat level raised to Vulnerable in our annual update to the IUCN Red List of threatened species (for which BirdLife is the authority for birds). Because the Andean Condor must eat while on the ground, they will often gorge themselves to the point where they are unable to get themselves off the ground and into the air.The Andean Condor Vultur gryphus – the national bird of Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia – is now globally threatened with extinction.This strategy is helping to bolster the captive-breeding programs. In captivity zoo keepers will remove the Condor’s eggs and artificially incubate them, which results in the Condor laying more eggs. If the Andean Condor loses its egg(s) they have the ability to immediately lay another one.The Andean Condor can soar to an elevation of 18,000 feet.The Andean Condor is considered to be the garbage collector of nature.They are the national bird of Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, and Columbia.The Andean Condor is the national symbol of Peru, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, Columbia and Bolivia.The Andean Condor does not have a voice box so the only noise they can make is a hissing or grunting sound.The Andean Condor can change the color of its head depending on its mood.The Andean Condor has the largest wing area of any bird.
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