ANDEAN CONDOR: (Vultur gryphus) Species Action Plan
Timothy K. M. Saunders, and J.P Mendenhall.
Executive Summary
The Andean condor, Vultur gryphus, a New World Vulture (family Carthitidae)
native to the Andes mountain range. Culturally significant, it has the largest
wing span of any land bird in the world, averaging 9.5ft (Ferguson-Lees &
Christie, 2001). Unfortunately, although superbly adapted for scavenging in
mountainous areas the life-history strategy of the Andean Condor has caused
it to become at risk of extinction. This is due to interactions between intrinsic
factors and human threats. This report has attempted to assemble the key
threats (changes in farming practices, land use and persecution), the current
conservation efforts (largely reintroduction and captive breeding) and a plan
for its future survival with 10 year goals.
Action Plan Development
Base on data obtained from scientific
government wildlife authorities .
Threats
Changes in agricultural and hunting practice within and
around the Andes are thought to be behind the decline of
the Andean condor in most of the countries within its range.
•Accidental and deliberate poisoning, including renal failure
by veterinary drugs such as the pain killer Diclofenac.
(Recently having become a new threat in Chile, having
been passed for use in cattle (Richards et al., 2006).
3a.
•Reduced carrion availability. Largely due to removal by
pick-up trucks.
research, conservation NGOs, and
•Collisions with power lines.
•Yawar Fiesta- a blood sport and cultural tradition in some
Peruvian villages, involving condors, alcohol and bulls.
Some sources suspect a high casualty rate amongst the
condors, several of which may be used per village
community (BirdLife International, 2012).
Table 1: Increases in extinction risk due to some intrinsic features of Vultur gryphus
Intrinsic feature
Problem
85 year lifespan + Low reproductive rate
Takes long period of time to replenish losses.
Large body size. Average mass 11kg (Birdlife
factsheet 2012).
Correlates with extinction risk (Cardillo et al.,
2005). Easily visible, of human interest.
Huge individual range size (dictated by body
size and hunting strategy)
Low genetic variability across whole range.
Small colonies.
High parental input (due to low resource
availability).
Low reproductive rate, few chicks at a time.
(Normally 1 every 3 years).
Groups feed together
Susceptible to group poisoning.
3b.
•Low genetic variability across the species range (Uzeda &
Wallace, 2007) (Hendrickson et al., 2003). This is thought
to be due to the huge dispersal ability of the condor and a
decline in some regions. This results in increased
susceptibility of the whole population to disease.
Figures 3a,b,c: Capture and treatment of a
female condor in the Yawar Fiesta. HamiltonJames, 2012.
•Feed in groups- higher loss due to poisoning.
Current Conservation Efforts
Taxonomy & Distribution
Table 2: Current conservation programs in place by country.
Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) is a highly distinctive species.
•Only 2 extant species of condor (Vultur gryphus and Gymnogyps californianus
(circled in red on fig 1).
• However, inferences on threats may be made from other vulture occupying similar
niche space and thus may face similar threats.
•Gyps bengalensis is a vulture species that has suffered declines of up to 97% due
to pain killing veterinary drug Diclofenac in cattle.
Figure 1: Phylogenetic tree including
the New World Vultures (family
Carthitidae), adapted from Sibley &
Monroe, 1990. 2 condor species
circled red.
• Andean condor is extant in 7
countries in South America (along
the range of the Andes.
Country
Conservation Actions in Operation
Argentina
Reintroduction programs from captive breeding-Andean Condor Species Survival
Program. Also tagging + GIS.
Bolivia
Wildlife Conservation Society: Monitoring of rural communities to reduce human:
condor conflicts.
Chile
Karukinka reserve set up in the steppes region- Wildlife Conservation Society working
with Govt.
Colombia
Reintroduction from captive breeding programs in1989- Andean Condor Species
Survival Program.60 released.
Equador
Rehabilitation project- education of local people and visitors to raise awareness.
Gradual reintroduction of captive condors. (Condor Huasi Project).
Peru
Feeding stations in Chaparri Ecological Reserve.
Venezuela
•Current estimate: 6200 individuals.
(Uzeda & Wallace, 2007).
Reintroduction programs from captive breeding. Andean Condor Species Survival
Program. 10 released.
Species Action Plan
•Signs of shrinkage, especially in
Bolivia and Colombia- already very
small populations. (Uzeda & Wallace,
2007).
Satellite
Tracking
& Tagging
•Occasional nesting in Brazil and
other non-Andes sites.
Figure 2: Approximate distribution of the
Andean condor adapted from Lambertucci,
2007.
Genetic
database
across
range
CONTINUE
CURRENT
ACTIONS
Diclofenacmanagement
or ban
10 YEAR GOAL
RESEARCH
(Stable
population of
known size
and dynamics)
LOBBY FOR
NEW
LEGISLATION/
MANAGEMENT
IMPROVEMENT
Conservation Status
BirdLife International, 2012
International
Collaboration
Current IUCN Red List status is Near Threatened. The Andean condor does not
meet the criteria for a category of threat for several reasons:
•Lack of data, especially with regard to population and sub-population count,
dynamics and trends.
•Lack of international collaboration- cohesive effort needed to accurately estimate
the total population size.
•Large species range- whole length of the Andes, despite low density.
•Lack of data on gender and age distribution across the range.
•Data gathered tends to be specific to small regions. Due to the mountainous
nature of the habitat, total numbers can only be estimated by modelling based on
what little data is available.
Lead pelletsrecommend
alternatives/
ban
This conservation strategy is based on 5 key actions to be achieved over a ten year timescale:
I.Further research aimed at revealing distinct populations and sub-populations, gene flow and
general population trends.
II.Research and promote scavenger safe drugs for livestock. Legally binding and international
efforts are required.
III.Educate local people in all 7 countries along the species range- aimed at reducing persecution
and the use of captive breeding programs to supply birds for the Yawar Fiesta.
IV.Model latent threat, including the impact of local economies on land use change.
V.Establish cross borxder communication with the aim of a establishing a strong network of
roosts- devised by Lambertucci, 2008.
References:
•Ferguson-Lees, J,; Christie, D. (2001). Raptors of the World. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
•Hamilton-James, C. (2012). Yawar Fiesta [Photograph] http://thephotosociety.org/blog/yawar-fiesta/.
•Cardillo, M., Mace, G., Jones, K., Bielby, J., Bininda-Emonds, O., Sechrest, W., Orme, C. & Purvis, A. (2005) Multiple causes of high extinction risk in large mammal species.
Science, 309, 1239–1241.
•Oaks, J., Gilbert, M., Virani, M., Watson, R., Meteyer, C., Rideout, B., Shivaprasad, H., Ahmed, S., Chaudhry, M., Arshad, M., Mahmood, S., Ali, A. & Khan, A. (2004).
Diclofenac residues as the cause of vulture population decline in Pakistan. Nature 427, 630–633.
•BirdLife International (2012) Species factsheet: Vultur gryphus. Downloaded fromhttp://www.birdlife.org on 15/02/2012. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than
one species: BirdLife International (2012) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 15/02/2012.
•Hendrickson, S., Bleiweiss, R., Matheus J., Silva de Matheus L., Jácome N., Pavez E. (2003) Low genetic variability in the geographically widespread Andean
Condor. Condor 105: 1-12.
•Sibley, C., & Munroe, B. (1990) Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut.
•Lambertucci S. (2007) Biología y conservación del Cóndor Andino (Vultur gryphus) en Argentina Hornero, 22:149–158.
•Richards N., Scott K., Hall, S. & Harrison N. (2006) Detection of NSAIDs in livestock animals and scavenging birds of prey with emphasis on vultures and condors Vulture
News 54:68-71.
•Lambertucci, S., Jácome, N., & Trejo, A. (2008). Use of communal roosts by Andean Condors in northwest Patagonia, Argentina. J. Field Ornithol. 79, 138–146.
•Uzeda, B., and Wallace., R. (2007) Estimating the size of the Andean Condor population in the Apolobamba Mountains of Bolivia.Journal of Field Ornithology 78: 170–175