I was hiking down into the canyon when I saw the first condor of the day. At first, it was far above me, just a small black speck in the sky. As it got closer, however, it got larger and larger, and I was able to appreciate just how big it was! Soon, a few more condors appeared, and I got to watch them all circling around the canyon walls above me. Condors are relatively rare birds, so I was excited to get to see more than one!
As I watched the condors, I was impressed with how effortlessly they glided, using the air currents to carry them where they wanted to go. During the whole time I was watching them, I do not think I saw one flap its wings a single time.
Andean condors are found throughout the Andes mountains, from Colombia in the north all the way down to Chile in the south. During the day, condors spend their time searching for dead animals, which are their primary food source. At night, they return to their nests, which they build on steep mountain cliffs or on the walls of canyons. Perú is home to many of these habitats and has a large population of condors as a result, including many that live in the Colca Canyon.
Andean condors use their cliffside habitat to keep their nests protected. The Andes mountains are home to many predators, such as pumas and Andean foxes. By nesting on steep cliffs that are hard for other animals to access, the condors keep their eggs and chicks safe from being eaten.
Condors also use their nest’s cliffside locations to make flying easier.
