Bar a feather or two, the biggest flying bird in the world is the Andean Condor, an iconic part of South America’s wildlife.
The Andean Condor is also one of the world’s longest lived birds. It can fly higher than any other bird and it’s one of the few birds revered in mythology and common culture.
It can live for about 50 years and does not become sexually mature until about ten years old.
Its mating display is an exaggerated series of outstretched wings and bows, accompanied by a clicking sound whilst the bare facial skin of the male turns bright yellow.
Once a pair bond is established they stay together for life.
The female lays only one egg every two years, this takes nearly two months to hatch.
The youngster cannot fly for 6 months and is partially dependent on its parents for two years.
They do not build a nest, instead, securing their egg among boulders or inside a small cave. Roosting at night is always on a ledge set in sheer rock race, from such places they can easily land and take off.
When Paula and I of ‘Living Wild in South America’ were journeying in the very north of Argentina we stayed a few nights by the village school of Yavi Chico, right by the Bolivian border. Close to the school was an impressive escarpment, clearly visible from the school playground and most of the classrooms. We watched the escarpment carefully and found that up to fifty Condors would roost for the night on its narrow ledges. No one in the school knew this and most of the teachers admitted they had never even seen a Condor, so our binoculars were in full use for a few days.
The Condor is so much bigger that other Vultures. Look at the difference between an adult Condor and a Black Vulture.
If you are birdwatching in South America, Condors can be seen almost anywhere in the Andes. Walking the remote trails one has to be lucky to see them on a kill or close to. In Peru the Colca Canyon provides a rare opportunity to see them at eye level.
In the Mendoza province of Argentina there is also a good watch point in the hills above the town of Olta. Go into the town and ask for directions, it takes about an hour to drive there, drive as far as you can and the road stops by a tiny farm. Javier, a friendly local guide, took us to the viewpoints.
