According to a recent article in El Comercio on May 6th, 2009, a recent census taken in the central and northern Ecuadorian Andean Sierra (or highlands) only 27 condors (El Kuntur) were registered. The main reason for the drastic decline in their numbers is that these birds do not find sufficient food easily and their natural habitat is being reduced. Subsequently, birth rates have decline and is putting the Condor at risk of extinction.
In 2002, research conducted by Aves & Conservacion anticipated a reduction in condor numbers when they counted only 60 or 70 condors in total.
The Condor [vultur gryphus] lives in the Andes from Venezuela down to Magallanas (Argentina). They are generally found above 3000 meters above sea level.
Lifespan: roughly 50 years
Weight: between 11 & 13 kg
Wing span: 3.5 meters
Diet: dead animals
Incubation: 55 days
Birth: 1 egg each two years
