Among New World vultures (Cathartidae), the two species of condor are the most threatened: the California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) and the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus). The California Condor is a Critically Endangered species exclusive to North America, with a wild population (which requires intensive management) of only approximately 300 birds in southwestern United States of America and northwestern Mexico (Finkelstein et al. 2020). The Andean Condor, a Vulnerable species that occurs throughout the Andes from northern Colombia to southernmost Argentina, is considered to be declining throughout its range—at an alarming rate in some countries (BirdLife International 2020).
Shooting and deliberate or accidental poisoning are largely responsible for the delicate conservation status of both species (Plaza and Lambertucci 2019, Plaza et al. 2019, BirdLife International 2020, Finkelstein et al. 2020). A number of articles report the declines of...