


Males are slightly larger (like the Andean condor), making them another exception to the sexual dimorphism present with most raptors. The California condor, slightly smaller than the Andean condor, averages out at 18-20 lbs, but can grow larger, with some individuals recorded at 30 lbs. When standing, they average almost 4 ft tall. Additionally, they have the largest surface area of any bird’s wingspan in the world. 10 inches, giving them one of the largest in the entire world, only exceeded by a few pelican and albatross species. They are the heaviest average flying animal or bird in the world (although bustards occasionally weigh more).

The heaviest Andean condor was recorded at 33 lbs. Female Andean condors weigh around 25 lbs, while males weigh up to 28 lbs (this difference is usually reversed in birds of prey, making it notable). The Andean condor is the larger of the two condors by a decent margin. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.The Best Nest Boxes Birds Will Actually Use for 2022 Andean condor size You can read additional and detailed information on data protection on our page privacy policy. +info.Īccess, rectify and delete data, as well as some other rights. +info.Īutomattic Inc., EEUU to spam filtering. Your email address will not be published. Would you like to see the Andean condor of the Colca? What do you think of the legends told about this bird? To all this must be added their sharp and armored beaks, capable of breaking the hardest bones and tissues in the animal kingdom.Īs if that were not enough, the condor has claws that, although their limited development does not allow them to grab their prey with them, they do help them to butcher carrion. This allows them to exploit their extraordinary vision, which they use to lock on to their target and drop at breakneck speeds. To this is added a unique technique of using the valley’s air currents to their advantage by gliding from high above. Its three-meter wingspan and 12 kilograms of weight make this scavenger bird an impressive threat. It is then when they start looking for targets in the form of carrion to feed on. The condors take advantage of the presence of the hot air currents that are created in the canyon to leave their nests and thus rise in perfect glide above its reddish walls. With this closeness they manage to defy the gazes of the most curious and make it clear that we are in their kingdom, the kingdom of the condor. A rite that has as its main attraction the imposing proximity of the condors. A ceremony that daily congregates a multitude of curious onlookers who enjoy the spectacle from the Cross of the Condor viewpoint.Ĭontemplating the elegant flight of the condors is, precisely, one of the main activities to do in your Peru itinerary. Punctually, from 8 o’clock in the morning, they begin to fly over the canyon in search of carrion. It is in the holes of its walls where the nests of this colony of condors, of about a hundred, are found. Thus, it is the second deepest canyon in the world, just behind Kali Gandaki Canyon in Nepal and well ahead of the 2,100 meters you can reach in the Grand Canyon of the Colorado Tour. The Colca Canyon reaches at some points to 4,160 meters deep. This fact of ending its life has turned it into a mythological animal for civilizations such as the Incas, the Collaguas and the Cabanas.Įven in the travel to Machu Picchu, you can observe the Temple of the Condor, a temple dedicated to this bird so appreciated by the Incas.Ĭeremony from the Cruz del Condor viewpoint Since the dawn of time, it has been hunted indiscriminately for its mystical therapeutic powers and for the nutritional value of its meat.Īrguments that explain why the condor is in danger of extinction. This suicidal myth about this sacred bird of the Andes has its part of reality and explanation in that it is a monogamous and solitary bird. The myth of its rebirth tells how the one known as King of the Andes, upon seeing himself grow old, folds his wings and throws himself in a majestic fall from the cliffs to die in an act that symbolizes the cycle of life itself. One of the many Inca legends tells that the condor was an immortal animal. Today we talk to you about the Colca Andean Condor, the animal that inhabits the Colca Canyon in Arequipa and that is the great attraction for tourists. This city is known for two things: for being the birthplace of the Nobel Laureate in Literature, Mario Vargas Llosa, and for being the closest city to the Colca Canyon, The Andean condor acquires its status as King of the Andes and emperor of the skies very close to Arequipa. 2 Ceremony from the Cruz del Condor viewpoint.
