The first time that I saw one of these humongous birds I was jumping up and down with excitement, pointing and yelling at the top of my lungs. The condor wasn’t that close though, probably at least a kilometer away and just a dot in the sky, so you can imagine my excitement when the six of us (including our guides) stopped for a break at the edge of a cliff and from right under where we were, gracefully glided out a condor. The bird was only 100 meters away and even from that distance it was HUGE! After some research later I learned that the Condors wingspan can be one and a half times the height of my dad, which adds up to around 10 feet!
We saw our first Condor in the Valle de los Condores of Bolivia, but they can be found in many more places, in fact all along the Andean range and beyond. They used to be found in Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Ecuador and Venezuela. The condors habitat is mainly open grasslands and alpine regions up to 5,000 meters, the lowland desserts of Chile and Peru and the Southern Beech Tree forests of Patagonia. Condors live in cliffs where they can easily fly off to look for food. They only eat dead animals which they find by flying immense distances. It is not uncommon for these birds to fly 250 kilometers a day! They prefer bigger carcases of sheep, cattle, llama, seal and occasionally new born animals or seabird eggs. Condors have amazing eyesight and can spot their food from several kilometers away, they have also been known to follow smaller scavenger birds who can’t rip open the tough skin of the bigger animals. Unlike the smaller scavengers the condors can eat the bigger animals with the help of their hooked beaks.
Both the species of condors are broad winged soaring birds and only flap to get off the ground to a suitable height. Their feathers are all black except for a white circle at the base of their bald head and some white flight feathers. An interesting thing about these birds is that the male is bigger than the female. This fact stands out because in most birds of prey the female is bigger. Male condors weigh from about 11 to 15 kilos and the females from 7.5 to 11.
Unfortunately, the numbers of these great birds are on the decline. The main reason is because condors are killed all over the Andean range for sport and by farmers who wrongly think that condors are preying on their cattle. Thankfully though, conservation projects are popping up all along the Andean Range and condors are being bred and released in the wild! Maybe soon they will be back in all the places they used to be!
What is the most amazing bird you have seen?
Borche,
the photo of you on the mountain top reminded me of the landscapes in Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings – dramatic and magical, as if from another time. And the bird you so well describe reminds me of a traveller coming from far away. You are quite the story-teller, and your imagination is vividly present in every story you weave. i’m amazed at how much you and Rainucha have grown through this journey, and can see that this is an education once in a life-time by far much more interesting that sitting in a classroom every day. you might have trouble adjusting to that flow once you return, egh?! like the condor, you’ll keep on gliding through these adventures and phases quite magnificently 😉 as far as the most amazing bird i’ve seen? hmm, once i saw an eagle perched on a branch right above my head, and i recall looking into its eyes, and witnessing a spirit from another world, a world I did not understand, and I would never be invited to partake in. and that understanding, which came to me in a flash of a moment, is amazing to me as much as the bird herself.
Yes! The landscape was amazing! We saw as many as 20 condors gliding around in the sky looking for food. It was an amazing experience, almost like the one you described about the eagle.
As for going back to our normal lives: I’m not sure what it’s going to be like. Maybe we will adjust fine or maybe not. I will just go with the flow:)
I love your approach to life ” just go with the flow”. You will meet much success in all your endeavors! I wish you safe travels on your way back to Asheville & may your wonderful continue on the inside & out.