Satellite tracking shows Andean condors fly outside protected areas in Chile

Veterinarian and ornithologist Eduardo Pavez has spent 36 years working to conserve the Andean condor in Chile.

Since 1990, Pavez has conducted research on the species and established the Centro de Rehabilitación de Aves Rapaces (CRAR). His facility has cared for 180 condors since 1991, with AvesChile reporting that 80 birds have been successfully released into the wild. Pavez currently leads Proyecto Manku, which began breeding condors in captivity in 1999.

To date, the project has produced 25 captive-born condors, most of which have been released. Before entering the wild, these birds spend two months in large cages to acclimate to their environment without direct human contact. The project has released 24 condors since 2014, 20 of which were fitted with satellite transmitters to monitor their integration into local populations. Recent tracking data from six condors in the Patagonia region revealed a conservation challenge.

Only 22 percent of these birds traveled within protected areas, as their movement range often exceeds the boundaries of national parks. While the birds can fly up to 130 kilometers in a single day, their wide range means they frequently inhabit unprotected land. Human activities like hunting, poisoning, and collisions with wind turbines continue to threaten the species.