This is Birdoct.

The massive Indian condor doesn't fly.

It sails the wind.

With wings that stretch more than 10 feet across,

they glide for hours without flapping above the Andes Mountains

from Colombia to Argentina. Because they are so heavy, up to 33 pounds, Condor save their energy

by riding the thermals rising off the cliffs and mountains, a black silhouette drifting across

the clouds, with a white collar and white feathers on top of their wings.

In the mythology of the Incas,

the Condor was a sacred creature who carried messages

between the heavens and earth.

But the Indian Condor is more than a symbol.

As scavengers, they play a vital ecological role,

cleaning up the landscape and preventing the spread of disease.

Like many vultures,

congers don't always get the gratitude they deserve,

and their populations are declining.

Indian congers don't reproduce until they're at least six years old,

and raise just one chick every two years.

So when lead poisoning or habitat loss strikes, recovery is painfully slow.

Still, the Indian condor persists, thanks to conservation efforts across South America,

where several countries have adopted this majestic raptor as their national emblem, including Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador.

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