Vultur gryphus

The Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) is one of the world's largest flying birds, with a wingspan reaching nearly three meters and a lifespan exceeding 60 years. Found across the mountain ranges of South America from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego, the species relies on thermal currents to minimize energy expenditure during long hunting flights. Torres del Paine, in Chilean Patagonia, sits within traditional Aónikenk (Tehuelche) lands and now forms part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve where the condor hunts over steppe and rocky terrain. The species is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with populations declining due to habitat loss, lead ammunition poisoning from carrion, and low reproductive rates—females raise only one chick every two years.