LAUSR

Despite being an iconic species and the national bird of Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador, the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) is moving fast toward extinction. Its world population, which probably does not exceed 6700 individuals (1, 2), is worryingly declining throughout its range, particularly due to massive poisoning events (1) to which the species is especially prone because of its highly gregarious behavior at carcasses (3). In 2018, 34 individuals in western Argentina died after consuming a deliberately poisoned carcass placed to eliminate mammals perceived as livestock predators (4). On 6 February, another 34 condors died in southern Bolivia, in similar conditions (5). Because of events like these, the Andean condor was recently uplisted to a designation of globally Vulnerable (1). Poisoning is the most grievous threat to the Andean condor, with incidents reported across the Andes (1, 6), but the species faces other challenges as well. Condors have fallen victim to lead intoxication, illegal capture, and shooting (6). They compete with other scavenger birds (7) and with feral and free-roaming domestic dogs for carrion resources (5). Complicating conservation efforts, these hazards vary regionally in nature and intensity (6). To address the roots of the complex threats faced by Andean condors, the conservation response must leverage international and multi-sectoral collaboration. Those working toward protecting the species must base all actions on scientific evidence and assess each step taken to evaluate its effectiveness. Only with coordinated efforts at local, national, and international levels can we halt the Andean condor’s decline (2). Diego Méndez*, Pedro P. Olea, José Hernán Sarasola, Félix Hernán Vargas, Vanesa Astore, Víctor Escobar-Gimpel, Rayen EstradaPacheco, Sandra Gordillo, N. Luis Jácome, Sebastián Kohn-Andrade, Alejandro Kusch, Adrián Naveda-Rodríguez, Fabricio Narváez, María Alejandra Parrado-Vargas, Renzo P. Piana, Juan Sebastian Restrepo-Cardona, Robert B. Wallace 1Departamento de Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, La Paz, Bolivia. 3The Peregrine Fund, Boise, ID 83709, USA. 4Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 5Centro para el Estudio y Conservación de las Aves Rapaces en Argentina, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina. 6Instituto de las Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa– Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina. 7Fundación Bioandina Argentina, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. 8Ecoparque de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. 9Corporación Amigos del Cóndor– Chile, Santiago, Chile. 10Grupo de Investigación y Estudio del Cóndor en Chile, Santiago, Chile. 11Centro de Investigación Científica y de Transferencia Tecnológica a la Producción, Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos, Provincia de Entre Ríos (CONICET), Diamante, Entre Ríos, Argentina. 12Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba– CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina. 13Fundación Cóndor Andino, Quito, Ecuador. 14Grupo Nacional de Trabajo del Cóndor Andino, Quito, Ecuador. 15Far South Expeditions, Punta Arenas, Chile. 16Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA. 17Fundación Neotropical, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia. 18Universidad Industrial de Santander, Laboratorio de Conservación, Santander, Colombia. 19Centro de Ornitología & Biodiversidad, Lima, Perú. 20Programa de Maestría en Conservación y Uso de Biodiversidad, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia. 21Wildlife Conservation Society, Andes-Amazon-Orinoquia Region, La Paz, Bolivia. *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]