A Glimpse of Hope: A Prolific Pair of Andean Condors in Ecuador

A couple of prolific Andean condors give conservationists much optimism that the species would survive the pressures of poisoning and hunting, and may even thrive and bring more condors chicks to the world.

Andean Condors inhabits Andes mountain ranges along the Pacific coast region of western South America, Colombia, northwestern Venezuela, and Tierra del Fuego in the south.

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Most Prolific Andean Condor

Sebastian Kohn, the director of the Andean Condors Foundation, said that the pair is the most impressive and prolific pair of a condor.

The pair has been closely monitored by a team of researchers in Chakana private nature reserves in Antisana volcano's foothills from a tower.

An Andean Condor has a slow reproductive rate: a pair lays once every two or three years, making its recovery challenging. However, the prolific couple had already seven chicks since 2013, the researchers noted, and they attribute it to adequate access to food, especially carrion, and the sense of security that the reserve provides.

The female condor incubates the egg for two months. For the chick to grow healthy, the parents must feed it with an adequate amount of food. Adult condors store their food on a special pouch in their throats where it is stored and then moves through the stomach for better digestion. The adults feed the young chick with regurgitated food and will remain in the nest for the next six to ten months.

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More Challenges Ahead

Although massive vulture is a national bird of several countries, its population is rapidly declining. It is considered endangered in Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, while it is classified as vulnerable in many South America parts.

Major threats are poisoning and hunting. In some cases, death is attributed to changing landscape and lack of adequate food.

In some coastal areas, guano workers collecting guano from bird excrement would prevent the condors from feeding on nestling seabirds by killing the vultures.

In other countries, Andean Condors are killed for ritual purposes. The ritual, called the "yawar" festival, ties the condor on the wild bull's back. Some scientists say the tradition traumatizes the birds, injures it, or it even leads to death.

In 2013, a bill was introduced in the Peruvian Congress to protect the species and do away with the ritual.

Significance of Andean Condors

For thousands of years, Condors are considered sacred by Andean people. The bird featured prominently in Nazca Lines, the geoglyphs carved into the Peruvian desert more than 1,500 years ago.

The bird is massive: it weighs around 15 kilos and has the longest wingspan among raptors. These birds are known to soar effortlessly for long periods with its wings' tips are pointing up. The point up wing tip is meant to reduce the drag or air resistance when flying. The feature has been used in developing airplane wings.

These massive vultures eat mainly carrions but also known to eat newborn animals such as cows and goats.

The birds are considered nature's clean-up crew as they eat either dead or decaying animals that harm humans and the environment.

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