Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
SACC. 2005 and updates. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm.
Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
---|---|---|
- | - | A4cde; C2a(i) |
Year | Category | Criteria |
---|---|---|
2020 | Vulnerable | A4cde; C2a(i) |
2017 | Near Threatened | A2de+3de+4de; C2a(i) |
2016 | Near Threatened | |
2012 | Near Threatened | |
2008 | Near Threatened | A2d; A3d; A4d; C1 |
2004 | Near Threatened | |
2000 | Lower Risk/Near Threatened | |
1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
Migratory status | altitudinal migrant | Forest dependency | does not normally occur in forest |
Land-mass type |
continent |
Average mass | - |
Estimate | Data quality | |
---|---|---|
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 8,520,000 km2 | medium |
Severely fragmented? | no | - |
Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Population size | 6700 mature individuals | medium | estimated | 2001 |
Population trend | decreasing | poor | inferred | 1937-2024 |
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) | 30-49% | - | - | - |
Generation length | 28.9 years | - | - | - |
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation | 1-89% | - | - | - |
Population justification: The species is naturally scarce. The global population has been estimated at 10,000 individuals, which equates to 6,700 mature individuals; however, recent information suggests that this is a maximum estimate (R. Wallace in litt. 2020). In Venezuela, the species may no longer be resident, with infrequently observed individuals probably visiting from Colombia, where recent population estimates detail 130 individuals, including reintroduced birds (Renjifo et al. 2016). In Ecuador, the population is estimated at 150 individuals (Naveda et al. 2016, Vargas et al. 2018). Peru holds a minimum of 150-250 individuals (Piana and Angulo 2015) and Bolivia holds around 1,400 individuals (Méndez et al. 2019). Chile and Argentina hold up to 2,000 individuals each, though there may be an overlap in these estimates (Wallace et al. 2020). The largest known population is in north-west Patagonia, with about 300 individuals, including 200 mature individuals (Lambertucci 2010, V. Escobar-Gimpel in litt. 2020). Despite being a wide-ranging species that covers large distances, it shows substantial genetic structuring, with dispersal being modulated by topographic features (Padró et al. 2018). It is therefore tentatively assumed that the species forms several subpopulations, which contain less than 1,000 mature individuals each, but this requires confirmation.
Trend justification: The species is in rapid decline caused by a variety of threats, including direct persecution by humans, lead poisoning, and deterioration of habitat quality through deliberate poisoning of carcasses. Even though the rate of decline has not been quantified across the entire range, it is suspected to fall in the band 30-49% over three generations (86.7 years; Wallace et al. 2020).
Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Argentina | extant | native | yes | |||
Bolivia | extant | native | yes | |||
Brazil | extant | vagrant | ||||
Chile | extant | native | yes | |||
Colombia | extant | native | yes | |||
Ecuador | extant | native | yes | |||
Paraguay | extant | vagrant | ||||
Peru | extant | native | yes | |||
Venezuela | possibly extinct | reintroduced | yes |
Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
---|---|---|---|
Desert | Hot | suitable | non-breeding |
Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude | major | resident |
Grassland | Temperate | suitable | resident |
Marine Intertidal | Rocky Shoreline | marginal | resident |
Marine Intertidal | Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc | marginal | resident |
Marine Intertidal | Shingle and/or Pebble Shoreline and/or Beaches | marginal | resident |
Shrubland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | resident |
Shrubland | Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude | suitable | resident |
Altitude | 0 - 5000 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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Agriculture & aquaculture | Wood & pulp plantations - Agro-industry plantations | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Persecution/control | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Unintentional effects (species is not the target) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Canis familiaris | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Causing/Could cause fluctuations | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Coragyps atratus | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Causing/Could cause fluctuations | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
Transportation & service corridors | Utility & service lines | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Causing/Could cause fluctuations | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
Purpose | Scale |
---|---|
Pets/display animals, horticulture | international |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Species factsheet: Andean Condor Vultur gryphus. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/andean-condor-vultur-gryphus on 10/01/2025.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2025) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 10/01/2025.