Distinguished by their white collars and bald heads, Andean condors are one of the largest predatory birds that can fly.
They weigh around 11-15 kilograms and have a wingspan of more than three metres. Because of their weight, these birds prefer to live in windy areas where they can glide on air currents with little effort.
Condors are vultures and most of their diet is constituted by carrion. They feast on large animals, both wild and domestic. Their eating habits offer a natural clean-up of the environment. They also feed on the carcasses of marine animals like seals. Apart from carrion, they eat eggs and hatchlings, raiding the nests of other birds.
Andean condors are recorded to live up to 75 years in captivity. Their reproduction is slow though. Loss of habitat has affected the numbers of Andean condors.
These birds are categorized as threatened by the IUCN.
Picture Credit : Google