The national animal of Colombia is the Andean condor. These iconic vultures are considered to be the largest of all birds of prey, and have a fairly large range across South America. They are important national symbols all over Latin America and particularly in Colombia where they have been culturally important for centuries if not millennia.
There really is no substitute for seeing a condor, indeed any kind of condor, in person.
These birds are almost terrifyingly large, and yet they obviously embody a natural grace and power unrivalled in other bird species.
It is not surprising, then, that they should be so important to the people of Colombia.
Let’s find out more.
What is the national animal of Colombia?
The national animal of Colombia is the Andean condor.
This condor is, like most birds of its kind, a true scavenger, meaning that it primarily and often exclusively eats carrion.
This image of the circling vultures is one of the most recognizable in all human cultures.
Importantly, though, by most strict definitions, Andean condors are nonetheless considered to be birds of prey, and with that in mind Andean condors are the largest birds of prey in the world.
The length of the condor can range from around 3 ft 3 to as long as 4 ft 3.
Their wingspan averages at around 10.5 feet, truly a staggering figure that has to be seen to be believed.
Their wings also have the largest surface area of any bird.
On average they weigh around 25 pounds, with the females weighing slightly less on average than the males.
This makes them the heaviest of all flying birds.
As adults their plumage is entirely black except for the iconic white feathers at the neck, as well as white bands on the wings.
They have a red to blackish-red head, which usually does not have any feathers.
Males have a dark red comb at the top of their head which is also called a caruncle.
They also have wattles hanging from their necks.
They are found across South America in the Andes as well as the Santa Marta Mountains.
Its range begins in the north in Colombia, though it is considerably rarer here than it is in other parts of the continent.
They mostly inhabit open grassland and alpine areas up to 16,000 ft in elevation.
Sadly, their historic range has been considerably reduced by human activity and they are now considered a vulnerable species.
Why is the Andean condor the national animal of Colombia?
The Andean condor is the national animal of Colombia for a few reasons.
On the one hand, bird symbols like this are very often important as national symbols of freedom and liberation, with any bird’s ability to fly being symbolic of this image of emancipation.
The condor in particular, king of the skies as it is with its unrivalled size, especially embodies this.
Andean condors are important symbols all over South America for precisely this reason.
On the other hand, in a more literal sense, the Andean condor is seen to embody the natural beauty of Colombia.
Few sights in nature are as striking as the ten foot wingspan of an Andean condor soaring high above the mountains in search of food.
Colombia, like many parts of the continent, features a great deal of high, rugged mountain terrain which is the perfect home for this condor.
On the other hand, as mentioned, they are listed as a vulnerable species by the IUCN Red List.
Awareness is always considered an important step in conservation, and so this is another reason the condor has been made Colombia’s national animal: in an effort to bring attention to its plight.
Is the Andean condor a bird of prey?
By strictly zoological definitions, the Andean condor is indeed a bird of prey.
You would not be blamed, though, for assuming that the term bird of prey referred specifically to large birds like eagles and hawks which catch live prey.
Condors, generally speaking, do not do this, but instead subsist on carrion.
They soar high in the air looking for any animal that is dead or dying already.
So, yes, Andean condors are birds of prey, though they do not really catch prey very much.
It’s really a question of zoological nomenclature more than a description of what they do.
What is the lifespan of a condor?
Condors can live for a very long time even in the wild in the right conditions, sometimes for as long as 60 years.
In some cases they have been reported to live for over 70 years.
Birds are very often extremely long lived and indeed large animals in general very often have very long lifespans, but 60 years is fairly exceptional and this makes condors one of the longest lived birds in the world.
Naturally lifespans can vary a great deal and it can also be difficult to tell exactly how long a bird in the wild has lived, but documented cases do exist of condors living for 70 years.
Condors, again, are simply among the most impressive birds in the animal kingdom.
The Andean condor is considered the world’s largest bird of prey, in a definition that includes scavengers.
They are beautiful and haunting and naturally have more or less always been important symbols to people living in this part of the world.
No doubt they will continue to be important for a long time to come.