Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Here are 49 portraits of 20 different raptor species taken at the Parque Condór, a bird rescue and rehabilitation center near Otavalo, Ecuador. Above is a Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, a native of open regions of South America. A few minutes earlier, I saw and gawked at a Harpy Eagle for the first time. That isn’t likely to ever happen again.
The center was founded in 2002 with a mission to rescue and rehabilitate injured birds of prey. The birds were either rescued from captivity or found injured in the wild, and brought to the center – none have been forcibly removed from their habitats. The Parque Condór rests at 2800m (9186ft) above sea level on the Pucará de Curyloma hill, about five kilometers from Otavalo, a city mainly known for its indigenous markets. For reference, it’s about a two hour trip by bus from Quito.
These were taken during a visit in 2015. If I ever make it back to Ecuador, I will be paying these birds another visit. Getting so close to so many big beautiful birds was a unique opportunity, one I relished – I arrived early and stayed as late as I could.
The photos include: American Barn Owl, Andean Condor, Bald Eagle, Barred Hawk, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Great Horned Owl, Gray Hawk, Grey-backed Hawk, Harpy Eagle, Harris’s Hawk, Mottled Owl, Pacific Pygmy Owl, Rufous-banded Owl, Savanna Hawk, Solitary Eagle, Spectacled Owl, Stygian Owl, Tropical Screech Owl, Variable Hawk, and a White Hawk.
Photos are listed alphabetically – click on the photo to view it larger.
American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata)
American Barn Owl, , Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015American Barn Owl, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus)
Andean Condor, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Andean Condor, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Andean Condor, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Andean Condor feet, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Bald Eagle, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Bald Eagle, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Bald Eagle, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Bald Eagle, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Barred Hawk (Morphnarchus princeps)
Barred Hawk, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Barred Hawk, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Barred Hawk, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Barred Hawk, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
Great Horned Owl, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Great Horned Owl, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Gray Hawk (Buteo plagiatus)
Gray Hawk, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Gray Hawk, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Grey-backed Hawk (Pseudastur occidentalis)
Grey-backed Hawk, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja)
Harpy Eagle, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Harpy Eagle, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Harris’s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)
Harris’s Hawk, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Harris’s Hawk, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Harris’s Hawk, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Harris’s Hawk, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Harris’s Hawk juvenile, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Harris’s Hawk feet, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Mottled Owl (Strix virgata)
Mottled Owl, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Mottled Owl, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Pacific Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium peruanum)
Pacific Pygmy Owl, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Pacific Pygmy Owl, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Rufous-banded Owl (Strix albitarsis)
Rufous-banded Owl, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Rufous-banded Owl, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Savanna Hawk (Buteogallus meridionalis)
Savanna Hawk, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Savanna Hawk, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Solitary Eagle (Buteogallus)
Solitary Eagle, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Solitary Eagle, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Spectacled Owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata)
Spectacled Owl, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Spectacled Owl, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Stygian Owl (Asio stygius)
Stygian Owl, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Stygian Owl, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Tropical Screech Owl (Megascops choliba)
Tropical Screech Owl, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
Variable Hawk (Geranoaetus polyosoma)
Variable Hawk, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015Variable Hawk, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
White Hawk (Pseudastur albicollis)
White Hawk, Parque Condor near Otavalo, Ecuador, 28 March 2015
I'm a reporter, photographer and researcher driven by passions for travel, culture and justice. I've visited 62 countries and write something and make pictures every day.
What an impressive collection, Bob! I was lucky to see the Andean Condor in Peru. They are magnificent. One of your other photos even shows a nictitating eye membrane. Awesome!
Where in Peru? I saw one in the wild in Chilean Patagonia, but from a very (very very) great distance. Yes, I noticed the membrane yesterday when I was sorting through these but forgot to note it in the caption. Will do so now. – thanks for the prompt.
Moving in. Watch your head. And look out for the birds.
This is BobRamsak.com, a public notebook by Bob Ramsak.
I’m a long-time journalist, photographer and researcher driven by passions for environmental, social and refugee justice. I’ve visited 62 countries and write something and make pictures (almost) every day. This site is a notebook and photolog where I track and (sometimes) comment on those interests, journal my travels and log my current obsessions. At the moment the most dominant one is my renewed passion for birding and bird photography.
This site primarily serves as a garden for my memories and experiences, which I hope visitors will find useful or of interest. If you find something helpful here, or have a thought or insight to add, please leave a comment or drop me a line to let me know. I’ll be delighted to make your acquaintance.
Fantastic collection!
What an impressive collection, Bob! I was lucky to see the Andean Condor in Peru. They are magnificent. One of your other photos even shows a nictitating eye membrane. Awesome!
Where in Peru? I saw one in the wild in Chilean Patagonia, but from a very (very very) great distance. Yes, I noticed the membrane yesterday when I was sorting through these but forgot to note it in the caption. Will do so now. – thanks for the prompt.
Fantastic post, full of excellence.