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Andean Condors 
This very large bird is usually seen in the air in numbers ranging from one to sixty or more. Its range is now reduced to parts of Peru and east Colombia with small numbers in north Colombia, north Venezuela and cliffs in Patagonia. They roost and nest in the mountains, although not usually above 18,000 feet (5,500 metres)
In common with all New World (American) vultures, the Andean Condor is, to all intents and purposes, silent. It does utter wheezes, suppressed coughs and grunts, but has no real voice.
Technically, the syrinx, which is the organ which produces birds' voices, and equates to our larynx, is absent from all seven species of New World vultures.
DietTheir normal food is carrion, dead, dying or sometimes newborn animals. A large carcass will not be significantly consumed for several days. In the islands where the Peruvian sea birds breed, large numbers of Condors descend and eat large quantities of eggs. The resultant desertion of nests often leads to great damage to the colony. Status and behaviour in the wildBeing the world's largest bird of prey has done nothing to help the Andean Condor to survive in the wild. Many of their number have, in past times, been shot as pests, and they also have a great significance in the religion of the people of the Andes, who value their feathers for decoration, and who regard the killing of the great condor as a significant proof of manhood. Combine this with the severe reduction in free dead meat (we like to tidy it up these days) and the change in farming methods with resultant habitat loss, and we have a recipe for seeing the Andean Condor go the way of its Californian cousin! The Andean Condor is the largest bird of prey in the world. It does not reach sexual maturity until between seven and eleven years of age. In captivity, with access to medical care, regular food and, of course, no threat from predators or humans may enjoy a life expectancy in excess of 70 years. For numbers to remain stable, a pair should survive until two of their offspring are able themselves to reproduce a pair. This indicates a mean life span in the region of 25-30 years.
The Andean Condor is considered 'critically imperilled' in northern Ecuador, where they live in habitat known as 'paramo'. Generally restricted to above 3000m, this habitat is under pressure from agriculture and tourism. The Condor population in that area appears to be in decline although the primary causes are hard to ascertain. High mortalities and low reproductive rates do not help! |
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