Wholesome clip shows an Andean condor happily pecking away at a snowman made for her enjoyment

The employees of World Bird Sanctuary recently built a snowman for birds to enjoy. Recently, they shared a clip where an Andean condor has a fun time playing with the snowman. They captioned the clip, “Another bird that had fun in last weekend's snow was Inca, the Andean condor. She really enjoyed checking out the snowman that the staff made for her.” The clip has received over 15000 views so far and still counting.

According to National Geographic, the Andean condor is a massive vulture from South America. They are among the largest in the world that can fly. They are so heavy (up to 33 pounds), that even their enormous 10-foot wingspan has a hard time keeping them aloft. With their sharp eyes, they usually feast on large animals, wild or domestic, and in picking the carcasses, they are the wilderness's natural clean-up crew. Along the coasts, condors will feed on dead marine animals like seals or fish. These birds do not have sharp predator claws, but they will raid birds' nests for eggs or even young hatchlings. Andean Condors have the longest wingspan of any raptor. The footage that the World Bird Sanctuary shared shows a black and grey condor featuring a white collar and bald head, roaming open-winged inside a habitat of wooden poles and sticks. There are flakes of snow scattered on the brown, soil-caked ground. The condor is seen circling the snowman as if examining it. Then, it starts fiddling with the snowman, pecking at the balls of snow with its beak.

Elizabeth (@DearBlueEarth) commented, “Isn't that one of the biggest birds in the world that can fly? I remember some sort of thing that the Andean Condor was known for! She looks magnificent!” Another woman, Katherine (@KMR31871) wrote, “This is really cute. She seems to realize the snowman isn’t quite so scary once it’s de-limbed. Lol.” The same clip was shared on Facebook as well, where it received thousands of likes. Many people suggested that their staff could also add some crumbs of food or treats attached to the snowman to make the bird more attracted to it. In a previous post on their Facebook page, World Bird Sanctuary described how many of the birds in their sanctuary are having a good time during the snowy days. Among these birds were the American white pelicans, in addition to condors, who were seen enjoying the snow.

World Bird Sanctuary is an environmental conservation organization based out of Bald Eagle Ridge Road in Missouri. According to Ladue News, the World Bird Sanctuary is on a mission to protect and preserve birds and their habitats through conservation, rehabilitation, education and more. “We not only have the opportunity to educate through our events but also raise money for our mission and give guests actionable steps that can help wildlife as a whole,” said Kelsey Rumley, director of education for the World Bird Sanctuary. The organization hosts regular events displaying their birds to the guests. “Our events all include up-close views of live birds, allowing guests to make a connection to species they could see around the world or in their own backyards,” Rumley said. “This is something that simply cannot be experienced in many other places. Fostering that connection between people and wildlife is fundamental to saving species.”