Chilean Patagonia has a lot of very interesting wildlife, one being the iconic Andean condor, one of the largest birds in the world, measured in wingspan. The Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) has a large distribution range: from the Andean countries of Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, from the north of Colombia to the extreme south of both the Chilean and Argentinean Patagonia.
The region of Magallanes has a healthy population of condors because of good living conditions. Here, there are many hills and strong wind that help the condor to fly; it uses the current to glide in the air, something it does when searching for food. Due to an equal healthy puma and fox population, there are many kill for the condor to eat. The kills from predators are vital for scavengers like the condor that cannot hunt.
Best place in the world to do condor observation
There is a place close to Punta Arenas, just 60 minutes outside, direction Puerto Natales, where you find the easiest access and best conditions for observing and photographing the Andean condor: Estancia Olga Teresa.
Estancia Olga Teresa has the biggest condor colony in Chilean Patagonia, which houses an average of 60 to 80 condors all year round.
You can visit the colony by walking approximately 600 meters and 100 meters in elevation, to the base of the Palomares hill. This tour takes approximately 4 hours. This hill has a 20-meter-high rock wall, which serves as perch for birds. Then there is the other option to take a vehicle provided by the estancia, to take the 25 minutes ride to the viewpoint closest to the colony. This option has a duration of approximately 2 hours. There will be guides providing information, binoculars, and high-range telescopes for guests to use.
Interesting facts about the condor
The Andean condor is an impressive bird because of its size. It has an average wingspan of 2.7 meters to 3.2 meters and an average weight of between 8 and 15 kg. In body length, it can range from 100-130 cm.
All these numbers combined make it the largest living land bird capable of flying. The bird with the longest wingspan in the world is the Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans), it can have a wingspan of 3.65 cm and the length of its body is between 107 - 135 cm.
The Andean Condor is the national symbol, not only in Chile but also in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. In Chile, it is also the national bird and part of the country's coat of arms.
It may live up to 50 years, mate for life, and it only reproduces once every two or three years. They don't build a nest but lay their eggs on the side of a cliff.
The easiest way to distinguish the male from the female is that the male has a large, dark comb on the crown of the head. The female is smaller than the male and has red eyes, whereas the male has brown, dark eyes.
More information about the tour
You can add this tour to your itinerary before or after your puma-watching experience with us. For example, If are you driving from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas, you should consider doing a stop at the Estancia Olga Teresa in the afternoon, when the condors usually are more active. The ranch is located on Km 28.5 route Y-50 of the Commune of R铆o Verde, XII Region of Magallanes, Chilean Patagonia.
Contact them directly through their website: www.estanciaolgateresa.com