In the fifth nest identified by the Jaime Duque Park in the El Almorzadero paramo, in Santander, an Andean condor was born, but this time with a novelty: for the first time, conservation teams managed to monitor the nest throughout the entire reproductive process.
What is noteworthy is that this birth received continuous monitoring, from the courtship stage to the hatching of the chick. It is, without a doubt, a milestone for the study of this emblematic species of the Andes.
Researchers celebrated this birth in El Almorzadero because they considered it a unique opportunity for science. The reason is that other attempts to record the same process had failed. Since 2022, they had been monitoring a pair of condors during unsuccessful stages of courtship, egg-laying, and incubation period.
Biodiversity conservation work
For that reason, the birth in El Almorzadero turned out to be crucial because it made it possible to gather detailed information about reproductive behavior, early development, and survival conditions of the Andean condor in the wild.
The discovery and study of this case correspond to activities of the Wakatá biopark, which is located inside the Jaime Duque Park, at Kilometer 34 of the North Highway in the municipality of Tocancipá, Cundinamarca, about 40 kilometers north of Bogotá.
Wakatá, which in the Muisca language means “the sacred,” represents the biodiversity conservation work carried out at the Wakatá Biopark Nature Reserve, where they care for nearly 650 animals from 110 species, both domestic and wild, which, through their role as biodiversity ambassadors, fulfill the purpose of inspiring care for nature.
The monitoring carried out in El Almorzadero is especially valuable considering that previously it had only been possible to monitor a nest of an introduced condor. The new record opens an unprecedented window to strengthen conservation strategies for this species in the country.
This progress adds to other positive news for the species, such as the birth in captivity of Cattleya, in Cundinamarca. It is the third chick born under the agreement between the CAR and the Jaime Duque Park Foundation, and it stands out for its genetic importance, as it is the offspring of Katuma, a rescued male transferred from Medellín, and Audrey, a female from the United States.
The knowledge obtained through monitoring in Santander and controlled breeding programs seeks to strengthen the condor population, which is currently in critical danger of extinction. Experts project that by the year 2027 it will be possible to carry out the first releases of individuals, with the aim of renewing genetics and improving the species’ conditions in different parts of the country.
The presence and reproductive success of these animals not only represent a biological advance, but are also key to guaranteeing the health of Andean ecosystems. In Colombia, the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) is in critical danger of extinction, according to the Ministry of Environment and the Red Book of Birds. It is estimated that the population in the country is 130 individuals.