ANDEAN CONDOR (VULTUR GRYPHUS) NESTING IN NORTHEASTERN COLOMBIA AND DIFFERENCES IN LAYING DATES ALONG THE ANDES

Little is known about the breeding behavior of the Andean Condor in the wild, especially in the Northern Andes, where densities of this species are low and their nests are difficult to find. We describe an active Andean Condor nest found in March 2015 on the western slope of the eastern Colombian Andes, representing the first country nest record since 1972, and report observations on nesting behavior. We recorded behavior of the male and female attending the nest using direct observations and a camera trap during two months. Both parents attended the nest, but the female did so significantly longer than the male. We assume that the nesting attempt failed because our photographic observation showed no evidence of the adults, the egg, or any chick at the end of the observation period. In addition, we collated available information about the nesting and incubation periods of Andean Condors in the wild along the Andes range. We found latitudinal differences in laying dates. Egg laying occurs in the second half of the year in southern latitudes of the Andean Condor's range (Chile, Argentina), and primarily in the first half of the year in northern latitudes (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru).