Editing Condor (section)

== Threats ==
Both species of condor have significant threats facing their livelihood. The [[International Union for Conservation of Nature|IUCN]] defines the Andean condor as a near threatened species, while the California condor is considered endangered despite recovery programs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=IUCN |date=2020 |title=Gymnogyps californianus |url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697636/181151405 |website=IUCN Redlist}}</ref> Human threats are currently the more dire to both species. Andean condors tend to be purposefully shot or poisoned because of prejudice or assumed connections between condors and eating cattle. Another threat to Andean condors is local belief in medicinal properties in the bones and organs of the birds, leading to hunting.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Andean Condor |url=https://abcbirds.org/bird/andean-condor/#:~:text=Andean%20Condors%20play%20an%20important,ruler%20of%20the%20upper%20world. |access-date=2024-11-06 |website=American Bird Conservancy |language=en}}</ref> Human threats are more indirect to California condors, human use of lead in bullets and other items, have become an unintentional part of the condor diet, leading to a dramatic drop in their population over the years. Currently, California has instated a breeding program to aid in recovery, and all the current wild condors are from a subset of twenty-two bred in captivity.<ref>{{Cite web |title=California Condor Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology |url=https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/California_Condor/lifehistory#:~:text=As%20of%202022,%20all%20550,but%20successful%20captive%20breeding%20program. |access-date=2024-11-06 |website=www.allaboutbirds.org |language=en}}</ref> Such efforts have led to a rise to much higher numbers for the birds. In South America similar programs have begun for the Andean condor but its success is not as vital to maintain population numbers.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Avian Conservation |url=https://www.aviary.org/conservation/projects/high-andes-habitats/high-andes-avian-conservation/#:~:text=Andean%20Condor%20breeding%20programs%20are,the%20skies%20over%20the%20Andes |access-date=2024-11-06 |website=National Aviary |language=en-US}}</ref>