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An Andean condor with black and white wings and a white neck ruff perched on a rock.
Photo: Greg Hume, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Andean Condor

Vultur gryphus

A huge vulture of the Andes Mountains with a wingspan of about 3.2 meters, the longest of any land bird.

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About the Andean Condor

Andean condors live in the Andes Mountains and nearby coasts and deserts, from western Venezuela to the southern tip of South America. With wings about 3.2 meters (10.5 feet) across, they ride rising warm air off cliffs and can soar for hours with very little effort, traveling as much as 200 miles a day to find food. Condors are scavengers that mostly eat the bodies of large dead animals.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Vultur gryphus[1]
Size
97.5 to 128 cm (38 to 50 inches) long, with a wingspan of about 3.2 m (10.5 feet).[1]
Weight
7.7 to 15 kg (17 to 33 pounds).[1]
Lifespan
Around 50 years in the wild. One captive bird lived to nearly 80.[1]
Diet
Scavenger. Mostly the bodies of large dead animals.[1]
Habitat
Mountains and coastal mountains, up to 5,500 m (18,000 feet).[1]
Where it lives
The Andes, from western Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego.[1]
Group life
Pairs mate for life. Condors roost together in groups.[1]
Babies
One egg every 2 to 3 years, incubated for 54 to 58 days. Chicks fly at 6 to 7 months.[1]
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).[2]

Fun facts

  • The Andean condor has the longest wingspan of any land bird: about 3.2 m (10.5 feet).[1]
  • Condors can soar for hours on warm air rising off cliffs.[1]
  • A condor may travel as much as 200 miles in a day looking for food.[1]
  • Male condors have brown eyes and female condors have red eyes.[1]

Vocabulary

scavenger
An animal that feeds on dead animals or leftover food.
soar
To fly high without flapping, riding on moving air.
thermal
A rising column of warm air that birds use to gain height.
carrion
The meat of an animal that is already dead.
vulnerable
A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. “Vultur gryphus (Andean condor).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Vultur_gryphus/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Vultur gryphus (Andean Condor).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697641/181325230 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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