On the coast they feed on the beached carcasses of marine mammals and raid sea bird colonies for eggs and nestlings. The male begins his courtship display by drawing himself erect, fully extending his wings, and clicking his tongue, while the reddish skin of his neck becomes bright yellow. The birds do not build a nest, but lay their eggs on bare ground on a ledge or in a cave. The female lays a single egg which both parents incubate for about 54-58 days. Fledging takes another 180 days so that a pair only breeds every other year under normal conditions.
Parents continue to care for the fledgling for a full year.
The Andean Condor is officially listed as endangered, although it has greater numbers than its California relation. Biologists estimate that a few thousand birds remain in the wild, concentrated mostly along the southern portion of their historic range. NZP participates in the Species Survival Plan for Andean Condors. Thirty-nine Andean Condors reared in North American facilities have been reintroduced to the wild in Columbia and Venezuela. Early reports from the field indicate that some of these released birds have begun to breed.