SPATIALLY DEFINING CONSERVATION PRIORITIES FOR THE ANDEAN CONDOR (VULTUR GRYPHUS)

WALLACE, ROBERT; REINAGA, ARIEL; PILAND, NATALIA; PIANA, RENZO; VARGAS, HERNAN; ZEGARRA, ROSA; ALAVARADO, SERGIO; KHON, SEBASTIAN; LAMBERTUCCI, SERGIO; MENDEZ,DIEGO; SAENZ-JIMENEZ, FAUSTO; ALARCÓN, P

JOURNAL OF RAPTOR RESEARCH

RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC

Lugar: Lawrence, Kansas; Año: 2022

0892-1016

The Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) is a naturally scarce, increasingly threatened andculturally iconic wildlife symbol for the South American Andes. Using the establishedRange Wide Priority Setting methodology, as a group of 38 Andean condor experts weredefined the Andean condor historical distribution (3,230,061 km2), systematized 9,998Andean condor distribution points across the range, and identified areas without (34.21%)expert knowledge, and with expert knowledge (65.79%), with the latter including areaswithin that known distribution where Andean condors no longer occur (7.31%). Toprioritize conservation action into the future and identify existing Andean condorpopulation strongholds, based on expert knowledge we then identified 21 Andean CondorConservation Units (ACCU) covering 37.3% of the historical range, ranging in size from836.5 km2 to 298,950 km2. In general, Andean Condor Conservation Units were relativelysmall in the northern portion of the range in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and northernPeru, and significantly larger in the central and southern portion of the range in Peru,Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, reflecting the reduced and thinner historical distribution inthe northern portion of the range, as well as increased threats. Andean condors can fly hugedistances and so the populations of many neighboring ACCUs are probably still connected,although this situation also underlines the need for integrated and large-scale conservationefforts for this species. As function of the Range Wide Priority Setting results, we make aseries of recommendations to ensure population connectivity into the future, and engage awide range of actors in Andean condor conservation efforts.