Andean condor

The giant that soars 5 hours without a single flap

The condor is one of the biggest flying birds in the world: its wings span more than 3 metres! It's so heavy that to take off it jumps from a cliff, then soars for hours on warm air currents — without flapping. Condors fly at 7,000 m — nearly as high as Everest. They never hunt; they eat only dead animals — nature's 'cleaners'.

The Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) is a New World vulture of the Andes from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego; wingspan 3.3 m, weight 15 kg — one of the heaviest flying birds. A 2020 study found a condor flew 170 km in 5 hours without a single flap — it flaps for only 1% of its flight time. It rises to 6,500 m. It eats only carrion — reducing the spread of disease; its stomach acid kills bacteria. It lives up to 70 years, matures at 5–6, and lays one egg every 2 years — a slow breeder. Sacred to the Incas as a messenger of the 'upper world', it appears on the coats of arms of 4 countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile). Numbers are falling because of poisoned carcasses.

Fun facts

• A condor flew 170 km in 5 hours without a single flap — a record!
• A condor lives 70 years — longer than some people.
• The condor is on the coats of arms of 4 countries.