安第斯秃鹰是一种庞大的鸟类，它们是世界上最大的可飞翔动物之一。因为它们过于庞大（最重可达15公斤），所以即使是3米的翼展也需要一样帮助才成。因此，这种鸟乐于生活在多风的区域，这样它们就可以在上升的热气流中省力滑翔。正如它们的名字所暗示的，安第斯秃鹰多见于山地，但是也有些生活在多海风的海岸，甚至在多热气流的沙漠地带。

安第斯秃鹰是所有鸟类中翅膀面积最大的。安第斯秃鹰一般都是黑色的，雄性颈部有一个特别的白色“领结”，它们翅膀上有白色的标记。跟它们的亲属加州秃鹰一样，安第斯秃鹰也是秃头。安第斯秃鹫是一种濒临灭绝的肉食猛禽鸟类，身躯1.2米，冀展3.2米，体重15千克左右，平均可达寿命72岁。

安第斯秃鹰是腐食动物，所以它们始终在高空飞翔中寻找动物尸体来果腹。它们喜欢食用大型动物，不论是野生的还是家养的。它们在自然界中担任着清洁工的重要职责。生活在海岸的秃鹰食用死去的海洋动物，例如海豹或者海鱼。安第斯秃鹰没有利爪，不过有时候它们会袭击鸟巢获取卵甚至幼鸟。

这种长寿的鸟类能活75年，有些甚至能活100岁，不过它们繁殖很慢，一对雌雄一年只能生出一只幼鸟，而且父母都得照看幼鸟一整年。

Andean condors are massive birds, among the largest in the world that are able to fly. Because they are so heavy (up to 33 pounds/15 kilograms), even their enormous 10-foot (3-meter) wingspan needs some help to keep them aloft. For that reason, these birds prefer to live in windy areas where they can glide on air currents with little effort. Andean condors are found in mountainous regions, as their name suggests, but also live near coasts replete with ocean breezes and even deserts that feature strong thermal air currents.

Condors are vultures, so they keep their sharp eyes peeled for the carrion that makes up most of their diet. They prefer to feast on large animals, wild or domestic, and in picking the carcasses, they perform an important function as a natural clean-up crew. Along the coasts, condors will feed on dead marine animals like seals or fish. These birds do not have sharp predator's claws, but they will raid birds' nests for eggs or even young hatchlings.

These long-lived birds have survived over 75 years in captivity, but they reproduce slowly. A mating pair produces only a single offspring every other year, and both parents must care for their young for a full year.

The Andean condor is considered endangered but is in far better shape than its California cousin. Perhaps a few thousand South American birds survive, and reintroduction programs are working to supplement that number.