I thought they were condors, because I had gone hiking in the Andes before and seen a few condors, but and a guide who was at the summit too told us that these were jotes, or buzzards. You can tell the difference because condors are larger and have a ring of white around their necks.
When I saw the fox I first felt scared, because I thought it might try to bite us, since it came so close to us and wouldn't go away. The guide at the top of the mountain said he has seen it before, and he thinks it's a mother with pups nearby.
Seeing the birds was awe-inspiring. They had huge wingspans and could glide for what seemed like forever without flapping their wings.
Both species live in the Andes mountains.
Both buzzards and condors are species of vulture, which are birds who eat the meat from dead animals (called "carrion"). This willingness to eat dead meat plays an important role in the ecosystem; think of this birds as a natural clean-up crew!
Based on how well the fox used its natural camouflage to blend in with the rocky mountains (we didn't see it at first!), I'm sure this is a way for it to avoid predators.
I don't think either of these species are considered endangered, but they are surely affected by climate change and Chile's huge copper mining industry.
