The Andean Condor is one of the largest flying birds in the world, weighing up to 12kgs and with a wing span of more than 3 metres and standing up to 1.2 metres high.
The Andean Condor can be found in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina, but illegal hunting and habitat loss have left them on the endangered list, with only a few thousand birds remaining in the wild.
They are scavengers and carrion feeders and use warm air currents to help them gain altitude and soar through the sky, using their excellent eyesight to look for carcasses and other animals. They can soar to heights of up to 5,500 metres!
Andean condors do not make nests. Instead the female lays a single egg every other year on bare ground on a ledge or in a cave. They can live for between 50 and 60 years in the wild, and up to 75 years in captivity.
