Harpy Eagle: Largest Hunting Bird in the Americas We helped partner organization Fundación Jocotoco acquire a 7,000-acre area in Ecuador, Hacienda Antisanilla, which protected the majority of condors found in that country in 2014. In South America, ABC is working to save critical habitat for the Andean Condor, which is considered Near Threatened. Today, they are considered Critically Endangered. The population of California Condors fell to 22 birds in 1980s, but thanks to a successful captive breeding program there are now 290 in the wild. And, sadly, both are threatened by humans, by lead poisoning (from spent ammunition), habitat loss, and in some areas hunting. Both are scavengers that feast on the remains of the dead, usually medium- and large-sized mammals. the Andes - these birds have much in common. The Andean Condor, however, wins when it comes to weight (33 pounds) and wingspan (10.5 feet) - nearly as long as a compact car.ĭespite inhabiting distant ranges - the desert Southwest vs. In terms of body length, the California Condor (4.5 feet) slightly nudges out the Andean Condor (four feet). Photo by kojihirano/ShutterstockĬalifornia and Andean Condors are, respectively, the largest flying birds in North and South America. Photo by Vadim Ozz/Shutterstock Right: California Condor.

California and Andean Condors – Largest Flying Land Birds in the Americas To protect Wandering Albatrosses, ABC's Seabirds Program is working with partners to advance safe fishing techniques while urging Congress to sign onto the international Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses & Petrels. Wandering Albatrosses are considered Vulnerable and, like other albatross species, they are threatened by climate change, marine pollution, overfishing, and “bycatch,” which occurs when seabirds are caught and drowned by trawler nets and cables or on long lines of baited hooks laid out by fishing boats. These legendary travelers can fly up to 600 miles in a single day, covering a distance equivalent to 18 round trips to the moon during their lifetimes.Īnd while roaming remote seas keeps Wandering Albatrosses far from most humans, it doesn't eliminate our impact. Found throughout lower portions of the Southern Hemisphere, the Wandering Albatross makes its home almost exclusively at sea, returning to land only once every two years to breed. The Wandering Albatross' massive 11-foot wingspan isn't just the widest in the Western Hemisphere - it's without peer in the world.

Condor size