Andean Condors, Ecuador

Andean Condors

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Andean Condors
Antisana Ecological Reserve, Ecuador   –   September 19, 2017
— Ralph Paonessa
Canon EOS 7D Mark II   *   EF500mm f/4L IS USM   *   ISO 800   *   1/2000 sec @ f/9

A pair of Andean Condors soars overhead, at 13,000 feet in the Antisana Reserve.. If you look closely you can see that the lower bird is "Number 9" from the tags on its wings.

There are only about fifty of these majestic birds left in Ecuador, where they patrol the high Andes for carrion. They are tracked closely for conservation efforts.

When we spotted these birds against a rare blue sky, we jumped out of the vehicle. I shot them handholding my 500mm lens over a period of ten glorious minutes, the closest I've ever seen them.

Photo ID: 20170919-73