Ecuador: The National Day of the Condor

A resolution taken by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1991 declared July 7 as the National Day of the Condor in Ecuador. Unfortunately, the day goes by unnoticed by many Ecuadorians. Valeria Sáenz (@vsteleamazonas) tweeted:

El 7 de julio fue el día nacional del ave símbolo del #ecuador el cóndor andino alguien celebró?

July 7 was the national day of the bird that is the symbol of #ecuador, the Andean condor, did someone celebrate?

A few minutes after her first tweet, Valeria put into perspective the significance of the day of the condor:

La cacería indiscriminada y la alteración del hábitat del #cóndor son las principales razones de su “casi” desaparición #ecuador

Hunting and the alteration of the condor's habitat are the main reasons why it is “almost” extinct.

The Andean condor is the national symbol of five Latin American countries, and it is a prominent symbol in Ecuador's coat of arms. A member of the Cathartidae family, the condor is considered the largest flying land bird in the Western Hemisphere. Its size reaches 1m 35cm in length; the tips of its wings fully opened can reach up to three meters and its weigh is between 10 to 15 kilograms. A condor lives 50 to 75 years. The word “condor” comes from “Condur” in the Kichwa language, meaning Vulture of the Andes; the scientific name is Vultur gryphus. As the name suggests, the large bird lives in the Andean peaks.

A condor in captivity at a bird's conservation park in Curi Loma, Otavalo. Photo used under CC license by Eric Schmuttenmaer.

It is estimated that only 50 to 70 condors are alive [es], but neither the Ministry of Agriculture nor the Ministry of Environment have prominent information on their site about the condor or the projects some private organizations have undertaken to protect the animal.

Before the National day of the Condor, an Ecuadorian journalist wrote a lengthy article on this topic. Gonzalo Ortiz explains how condors survive even with several pellets or bullets inside their bodies; he also blames the government for the way they mismanage the efforts to protect the condor:

Government inefficiency and rivalries between environmental groups are blamed for failed efforts in the past to implement coherent policies to protect these majestic birds, whose principal habitat is the high-altitude rocky outcroppings along the entire stretch of the Andes Mountains.

The only official statement this past July 7 was about an ongoing project to protect the national symbol [es]: The National Andean Condor Conservation Group, led by the Ministry of Environment. This group aims to protect specific areas inhabited by the condor. These areas include: Cayambe, Coca, Antisana, Pululahua, Cotacachi, Cayapas and Cotopaxi. A website [es] –now under construction– was set up to offer more information on the project.

Because of a lack in government intervention, other organizations are working to protect and help breed baby condors; since condors are monogamous and females lays eggs every two years, it takes time to see an adult condor flying the Andes Mountains. These organizations include the Zoological Foundation of Ecuador [es], The Condor Foundation, the Simbioe Foundation, the AGATO Community [es] and the Condor Huasi Rehabilitation Project.

Foreigners visiting Ecuador are taken aback when they see a condor. At the beginning of the year, the owner of the Pululahua Hostal in the Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve was inspired by the visit of condors near his own house and decided to start a blog. He shows the majesty of the Vultur gryphus through pictures, and writes candidly about his experience in Pululahua:

We have become nature lovers, ecologists, birders, lodge owners, and every day we discover something new. We have been surprised with the most beautiful flowers, orchids, birds, mammals, and people. […]

Yesterday we had a new blessing with the visit of the Andean Condor and we manage to see it and photograph it from our backyard. This inspired me to begin this new blog which is exclusively dedicated to birds so we can present the beauty of Pululahua and Ecuador.

The blogger from Abe in Ecuador went to Condor Park [es], a place where condors in captivity breed and are rehabilitated, and took some pictures of the condors. He also wrote:

It was amazing to see the Andean Condors, even if they were in an enclosure,…Biggest birds I've ever seen. They also had a number of other raptors at the park, and I included a couple other pictures.

What follows is a video at the Guayllabamba Zoo in Quito, with a video campaign to save the Ecuadorian national symbol: “The rapacious birds worst enemy is man's ignorance.

2 comments

  • Patrick

    I have lived in Quito for over 16 years, I am happy to help with any questions you might have about the country. Patrick- bullock0005@yahoo.com

  • Joseph

    There is no doubt that the author of “El Condor Pasa” a world-wide renown song was inspired when he saw the Condor in Ecuador and he mentions this in his memoirs, however, Peruvians never mention this fact and Ecuadorians care even less.

    Both countries nationals ought be ashamed of their carelessness, because of that the Condor is not prominent in this continent or any other place…..the Condor is a natural Andean nations treasure and it should be treated as such…to learn that there are 50-70 condors alive is a crying shame!!!!!!!!!!!

Cancel this reply

Join the conversation -> Patrick

Authors, please log in »

Guidelines

  • All comments are reviewed by a moderator. Do not submit your comment more than once or it may be identified as spam.
  • Please treat others with respect. Comments containing hate speech, obscenity, and personal attacks will not be approved.