Vulnerable Andean condors in steep decline

MÉNDEZ, DIEGO; OLEA, PEDRO P.; SARASOLA, JOSÉ HERNÁN; VARGAS, FÉLIX HERNÁN; ASTORE, VANESA; ESCOBAR-GIMPEL, VÍCTOR; ESTRADA-PACHECO, RAYEN; GORDILLO, SANDRA; LUIS JÁCOME, N.; KOHN-ANDRADE, SEBASTIÁN; KUSCH, ALEJANDRO; NAVEDA-RODRÍGUEZ, ADRIÁN; NARVÁEZ, FABRICIO; PARRADO-VARGAS, MARÍA ALEJANDRA; PIANA, RENZO P.; RESTREPO-CARDONA, JUAN SEBASTIAN; WALLACE, ROBERT B.

SCIENCE

AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE

Año: 2021 vol. 371

0036-8075

Despite being aniconic species and the national bird of Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador,the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) ismoving fast toward extinction. Its world population, which probably does notexceed 6700 individuals, is worryingly declining throughout its range,particularly due to massive poisoning events to which the species is especiallyprone because of its highly gregarious behavior at carcasses. In 2018, 34individuals in western Argentina died after consuming a deliberately poisonedcarcass placed to eliminate mammals perceived as livestock predators. On 6 February, another 34 condors died in southern Bolivia, in similar conditions.Because of events like these, the Andean condor was recently uplisted to adesignation of globally Vulnerable.