Autor: Admin Paul

Monday 9 March 2009.

With the support of Corporación Autónoma Regional de Chivor, and Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund, Fundación Loro Parque and American Bird Conservancy, the Parrot Bus visited southwestern Boyacá Department in February 2009, as part of the Eastern Biodiversity Ecological Route, one of four routes run by our mobile environmental class room in Colombia.

During this four day visit to the municipalities of Garagoa, Chinavita and Ramiriquí almost 1000 people, especially children, were educated on the wonderful biodiversity of Colombia participating in 30 environmental workshops offered by the Parrot Bus in 10 urban and rural education institutions.

“Children were excited to participate in the activities and enjoyed our education games, the presentation on birds and nature, and our Threatened Parrots of Colombia video”, said Johanna Villa, Parrot Bus’ coordinator. “They also received booklets on parrots, migratory birds and birdwatching, from our character, Otto Rico (a representation of the Yellow-eared Parrot) as well as stickers about birds and shirts on parrots”.

If you want to support Parrot Bus and its educational activities around Colombia please donate on line or write to fundacion@proaves.org

Wednesday 15 April 2009.

ProAves’ Parrot Bus is an environmental education and awareness tool that has travelled around Colombia since 2005 to develop recreational and educational activities with children, youth and adults, reaching hundreds of thousands of people in over 145 municipalities in 16 departments, nationwide. The Parrot Bus has travelled over 80,000 km of Colombia and visited more than 2392 schools in often the poorest communities, to give a message of conservation to a new generation of conservationist.

We are extremely grateful that this effective and efficient tool for conservation has been given huge international recognition of the Energy Globe World Awards. The ceremonious presentation of ProAves was carried out at the international television gala for the ENERGY GLOBE World Awards, 13 April 2009 in the city of Prague, Czech Republic. At the request of the Czech EU presidency, the ENERGY GLOBE Gala will serve as the opening of the meeting of the European environmental ministers in Prague.

Among the guests at the honoring of the global best environmental projects were the EU Council President Mirek Topolánek, President of the Council of Environmental Ministers Martin Bursík, and naturally Europe’s top environmental policy makers. 769 projects participated from 111 nations.

We are grateful to the support of Fundación Loro Parque, Disney Conservation Wildlife Fund, American Bird Conservancy and Conservación Internacional-Colombia to sustain the Parrot Bus.

If you want to support Parrot Bus and its educational activities around Colombia please donate on line or write to fundacion@proaves.org

Monday 7 December 2009.

The “LoroBus” (Parrot Bus) is a tool for environmental education and awareness since 2005. It travels throughout the country developing fun and educational activities with children, youth and adults. 

Ecological Route through the department of Córdoba

For 20 days it travelled more than 400 Km through the municipalities of Canalete, Los Córdobas, Montería, Tierra Alta, Valencia, Planeta Rica, Buena Vista, Ayapel and Sahagún.

By means of talks, workshops, games and videos in the interior of the bus, they tried to involve the communities that they visited, in respect for biodiversity; to generate in these a sense of belonging and respect for nature, especially in birds.

On this occasion a variety of activities; in Canalete, for example, was launched, with a parade, the cultural week of San José de Canalete school; in the municipality of Los Córdobas there already exist bird friendly schools and groups of birdwatchers and the newspaper El Meridiano, in Montería, issued a press release about the visit of the Parrot Bus.

Group of birdwatchers Nuevo Nariño – Participants in a workshop in Tierra Alta.

Children from all over the department of Córdoba took part, enjoyed themselves & learnt with the Mobile Environment Classroom Parrot Bus.

With the support of:

Friday 31 July 2009.

The kid Jhoan Sebastián Colorado lives in the community of Jadin, department of Antioquia (habitat of the Yellow-eared Parrot, Ognosrhynchus icterotis) in Colombia. Several miles from there, in the municipality of Génova, Quindío (habitat of the Indigo-winged Parrot, Hapalopsittaca fuertesi), lives another kid, Andrés Felipe Alzate. These two kids have in common being part of the Ecological Group Friends of the Birds. They are both proud of being part of this initiative supported by Disney Conservation Wildlife fund and Loro Park Foundation.

Jhoan Sebastián says: “I know about ProAves much before joining the group, since I always participated in the activities organized in school by the Environmental education teacher, and also thanks to the Loro Bus . Now that I’m part of the group I take advantage of all the activities organized, and each time I can, I visit the website of ProAves to know about the latest news”

“I think birds are quite intelligent and gaudy”, he adds. “ I have always been keen on nature, hence my favorite subject at school is Natural Science. Once I reach the required age, I want to join the group Young Researchers to support, like their members, in the fulfillment of bird census.

On the other hand, Andrés Felipe Alzate, Friend of the Birds from the municipality of Génova, Quindío, is always pretty active within the group and in all activities carried out. He is 12 years old and currently studying 4th year of elementary school at Guillermo Ángel. “I like all the activities organized within the group, such as flied trips, and participation in parades where I can represent ProAves”.

He adds: “I want to invite other kids to join this group, which helps us compromise with conservation of natural resources. Besides, I would like that grownups take their time in listening to us, since we have pretty interesting things to tell and teach”.

Both kids have participated in the campaign “Wax Palm tree and Yellow-eared Parrot”, and they are both happy to know that this year there was no use of bouquets made of Wax Palm tree during Holy Week in their communities.

If you wish to support the Friends of Birds Ecological Group or provide general support in the educational activities of ProAves, please write to fundacion@proaves.org or call (571) 245-5134.

Friday 23 April 2010.

The liberation of 13 beautiful Yellow-crowned Parrots (Amazona ochrocephala) back into the wild was held on March 18th in the presence of 35 local people including children and adults who watched the release.

The main objective of the project is to release confiscated wild parrots of this species back into the wild and document aspects of their biology and ecology and to work with the communities through multifaceted educational environmental strategies.

Liberation of Yellow crowned Parrots.

First results:

After several months in a recovery process, 13 parrots that had been subjected to captivity for several years, were released under strict control by the Corporación Autónoma Regional de Caldas CORPOCALDAS and ProAves, in the presence of students and parents of the Habana y la Garrucha Educational Institution, located between the towns of La Dorada and Victoria, in the department of Caldas.

Parrots are all too frequently caught by people to keep them as pets, in often poor conditions. The pet trade contributes to declining wild populations.

Environmental education activities – La Dorada and Victoria, Caldas.

After saving these individuals in captivity, they go through a long process of rehabilitation to recover from problems, such as eating disorders, health, social and physical amongst others. After this process where they acquire the capacity of flight and recover flight feathers they are released back into the wild.

With the support of:

Sunday 25 April 2010.
 

Earth Day and Year of Biodiversity, a commitment of ProAves

Framed within 2010 Year of Biodiversity, the Foundation ProAves and its entire staff celebrated on April 22nd the Earth Day, the celebration included a special program in Roncesvalles, Tolima, Jardín, Antioquia, Genova, Quindio and Bogotá.

Within these activities we had workshops and conferences, sessions of “Cinema in the Park”, painting contests and poetry alluding to the celebration, games and activities for people seeking to know and value the importance of conservation and take immediate action in preserving natural resources.

Always with the participation of environmental groups, young researchers, bird-friendly schools and the community at large, we made an invitation to the entire community to link with the Foundation, especially children and young people.

In Bogotá, the school Eduardo Umaña Mendoza (in the locality of Usme), was visited, leading educational and leisure activities through which children came to a knowledge of the Earth and its biodiversity.

Thursday 10 June 2010.

ProAves extended the celebration of World Environment Day throughout the month of June with the goal of making more activities, raising awareness in more people and generating greater impact on communities on the protection of the environment. These activities were mainly implemented at Genova, Quindío, and Roncesvalles in the department of Tolima and at Jardín, Antioquia.

In addition, we have one more reason to celebrate, and thanks to the commitment of rural communities, municipal councils and the Catholic Church, among others, the threatened status of the Yellow-eared Parrot changed from “critically endangered” to “endangered.” Eleven years after starting the conservation efforts to save this bird, we can conclude that its population now has more than 1,000 individuals, a key threshold for recovery of the population.

During these first days activities were carried out with schools and colleges that are part of groups led by the Foundación, like the Sisters Schools, friends of birds schools, young researchers and youth social service in order to provide knowledge through creative activities conservation-themed habitat of the species and the appropriation of practices aimed at sustainable development.

Through radio programs that air during the month, see that the wider community has first hand information on the importance of conserving natural resources, why it is important to celebrate this day and the scheduling of different activities that will be held. These activities include painting competitions, cultural outlets and culture on Fridays where environmental videos will be projected that will lead us to reflect on the damage that man has done to our only home.

We make an invitation to celebrate this day, all year, being aware of our consumption habits and asking ourselves about the impact our way of life is having on the planet and how we can help conserve our natural resources.

With the support of:

Jardín (Antioquia)	Roncesvalles (Tolima)	Génova (Quindío)			·

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Thursday 16 September 2010.

For more than 10 years ProAves has been developing different educational activities like “Environmental Friday”. This activity takes place every month and in it documentary films and films related to the subject are shown, this space is consolidated as a stage for cultural interaction to strengthen the bonds of participation and solidarity of the inhabitants of the municipality.

Also, in 5 Bird Friendly Schools “environmental education workshops” were held for more than 107 children in the municipality. In the Educational Institution, La Voz de la Tierra, thematic briefings relating to environmental calendar 2010 and its impact on the town of a youthful population of approximately 150 students were held.

The community radio station has been a valuable support for the dissemination of information, in addition to becoming a meeting place of youths for creative production of audio-clips related to the conservation of biodiversity and climate change. These become primary sources of updated information which respond to the specific circumstances of the municipality, contributing to the strengthening of environmental awareness.

The constant development of the above activities, and others that arise in the learning process and implementation, become important inputs to the consolidation of environmental education processes which promote the conservation of valuable ecosystems for their biodiversity and the provision of environmental services they provide to their inhabitants and the global climate.

No conservation strategy is successful if the population living in the ecosystem is not aware of the need to conserve. Knowing the environment and how to intervene in it is the basis to produce and reproduce ourselves sustainably.

With the support of:

Wednesday 20 May 2009.

The “Checklist to the birds of Colombia 2009” has been published by ProAves which documents an increase in the number of bird species in Colombia from 1,870 species in 2008 to 1,871 species in 2009. Colombia officially remains the most diverse country for birds on the planet, with Peru and Brazil with 1,822 and 1,777 species, respectively.

ProAves has maintained the “Checklist to the Birds of Colombia” since 2007 and same lead author since first publication in 2001. The checklist updates information in the distribution and taxonomy of birds that occur in Colombia. The 2009 checklist has undertaken a major revision of confirmed species for the country and provides the first confirmed record of the Neotropical migrant – the Yellow-throated Warbler.

The checklist also updates the threatened status of all species following an extensive review process by BirdLife International with the collaboration of ProAves and many others. Sadly, a further four bird species are threatened with extinction in Colombia, including two Critically Endangered species, the Gorgeted Puffleg Eriocnemis isabellae and Antioquia Brush-finch Atlapetes blancae that appear for the first time on the BirdLife/IUCN Red List. Both species were recently described from extremely small areas lacking any protection. Searches by ProAves and other researchers for the Antioquia Brush-finch have failed to locate any surviving populations, although hope remains that a small population survives.

Furthermore, two species dependant on the Chocó Pacific coastal forests – the Great Curassow Crax rubra and Five-colored Barbet Capito quinticolor – are now considered threatened, being upgraded from near-threatened to reflect the horrific rate of forest destruction in the Chocó lowlands, primarily fueled by illegal logging, African oil palm plantations and coca plantations.

Presently, Colombia has a total of 97 threatened bird species, 60 Near-threatened species and 6 Data Deficient species that are pending further information.

If you would like to contribute to the checklist, please email listado@proaves.org. Presently, the National Bird Records Forum for Colombia is being organized to oversee the national list.

The checklist is bi-lingual and freely available as a líne. An Excel version of the checklist will also shortly be available online for researchers and birders. You can buy the 81 page 2008 checklist from Fundación ProAves or online at http://www.nhbs.com/title.php?tefno=160362.

Monday 19 October 2009.

This document is a basic input that will serve as a tool for establishing the guidelines for preserving, protecting and restoring forests of Polylepis in Colombia.

The Polylepis genus includes 25 species distributed throughout the Andean region from Venezuela to northern Argentina and Chile, and its importance is that they are ecosystems that contain a unique fauna and flora, characterized by high levels of endemism generally altitudinal distribution ranges from 3400 m. and in some exceptional cases up to 5200 m. in Bolivia, in many cases these habitats are sanctuaries for birds in critical danger of extinction and a large bank of genetic resources and a conservation target.

Unfortunately, these high mountain forests also represent one of the most vulnerable ecosystems with less than 3% of the original coverage due to the heavy pressures that they are continuously subjected to, either by logging, fire, overgrazing or by extending the agricultural boundaries.

This edition of the Conservación Colombiana journal, is in recognition of the importance of these forests for the survival of other species of wildlife, especially birds and their current vulnerability that has motivated the creation of the component “Polylepis” within the project “Conserving biodiversity of the tropical Andes”, funded by American Bird Conservancy, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Comunidad Andina and with the cooperation of ECOAN.

This component aims at combining efforts of all the Andean countries, with ProAves the representative in Colombia, to propose specific strategies for the conservation of these ecosystems. The current goal is aimed at the identification of priority forests for conservation at the regional level.

With the support of:

Tuesday 23 February 2010.

Migratory bird populations across the planet are in free-fall. They are the “Canary in the coal mine” – evidence to a rapidly changing planet that disrupts their ancient flyways and life cycles that have evolved over millions of years. Rapid habitat loss on the wintering and breeding grounds, new obstacles like cell towers, and extreme weather conditions throughout the year threaten this once prosperous group of birds that include all groups of birds, from raptors to hummingbirds, warblers to shorebirds.

In the America’s, the majority of North America’s spectacular bird life heads south in the fall and reside in Latin America for often over six months of the year. ProAves work on this important and sensitive group of birds has highlighted that Colombia is a critical non-breeding area for many of North America’s most endangered migrants. Furthermore, rapid habitat loss across the most important non-breeding areas, such as subtropical and montane forests, has almost certainly contributed to a significant decline in the populations of Neortopical migrants.

In 2003, ProAves initiated the National Migratory Bird Monitoring and Conservation Program, thanks to funding from the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) by U.S. fish and Wildlife, Conservación Internacional-Colombia, The Wetland Trust, American Bird Conservancy and BirdLife International, among others. Since then, ProAves has made a compilation of information on all migratory birds in Colombia, through literature review, consultation of historical observation and specimen databases, monitoring at over twenty-eight sites in Colombia, and exchange of information with experts worldwide.

The Colombian Migratory Bird Conservation Plan is the result of three years of analysis completed by ProAves to provide the first comprehensive assessment as to the state of terrestrial Neotropical migratory birds on their non-breeding range in Colombia. Analysis highlights those species at greatest conservation concern and identifies priority areas for migratory birds in Colombia. This has allowed us to formulate a long-term conservation plan that was assessed and improved by experts and authorities at a workshop held in Bogota in 2009. The resulting National Migratory Bird Conservation Plan, published in the 11th journal of Conservación Colombiana , establishes priorities for the most efficient allocation of economic resources and efforts to save migratory birds in Colombia.

The Colombian Migratory Bird Conservation Plan contains the following sections:

1. Prioritization of migratory birds that breed in North America and reside in Colombia during the non-breeding season, based on a review of action plans and priority lists in North America.

2. A detailed analysis for each priority migratory species that covers aspects as distribution, population trends, migration, ecology, habitat-use, condition and proposed conservation actions.

3. A comprehensive migratory bird Conservation Plan that brings together actions for all species.

4. A regional analysis that identifies and targets areas for conservation for priority species, accompanied by a review of threats, conservation actions in each area and new initiatives.

This information is intended for scientists, academics, conservationists and government representatives responsible for managing the natural resources so that collectively they can consider actions and funding based on the proposed objectives. The Plan contributes to the initiative of the PIF (Partners In Flight), the Ministry of Enviroment of Colombia, and the Convention on biological Diversity and the Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Iniciative

It is up to all of us to make a difference and save the wonderful spectacle of migratory birds for future generations.

The 11th Conservación Colombiana journal as a PDF here.

Tuesday 18 May 2010.

Today, 18 May 2010, the 13th volume of Conservación Colombiana is published and printed editions are available for sale at the ProAves offices in Bogota. The journal is available in the Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia and has been mailed to libraries and museums across Colombia, US and Europe. The publication contains various articles, including a paper updating the Colombian checklist of bird species, with a substantial review of records detailing new species for the country and taxonomic changes. It is now thought that 1,879 species occur in Colombia. The checklist and all the papers from the edition will be available online within two weeks. Conservación Colombiana is available for sale at US $13/$25.000 pesos at ProAves office at Cra 20 # 36-61, Bogota or email fundacion@proaves.org

En la Reserva Natural El Pangán, se adelantan estudios de investigación, acciones de conservación y campañas de educación ambiental, con el objetivo de lograr un compromiso de la comunidad hacía la reserva y su biodiversidad.

{{Conservación}}

Las acciones de conservación han estado ligadas al trabajo de educación ambiental y se ha enfocado en alternativas de desarrollo sostenible, que ayuden a disminuir el impacto ambiental que genera la agricultura verde. También se han realizado talleres teóricos – prácticos con temas de acuerdo a la necesidad de la comunidad y a la economía de la zona.

{{Investigación}}

En desarrollo de investigaciones científicas, además de reconocimiento básico y general de la fauna y flora de la reserva, se han adelantado los estudios “Aproximación al conocimiento de la herpetofauna de la reserva El Pangan”, “Comportamiento y estrategias alimentarias de las tángaras {Bangsia edwardsi y B. rothschildi} en el suroccidente colombiano”, y una investigación recién terminada sobre {Dendrobates histrionicus}. Además constituye una estación permanente y oficial de monitoreo de aves. Actualmente están iniciando los trabajos de estructura y composición de {Lepidopteros Rhopalocera} en un gradiente altitudinal en la reserva natural El Pangan, y {Melastomataceae y Rubiaceae} como indicadores de la riqueza y composición de árboles en la Reserva Natural del Chocó Biogeográfico.

{{Educación ambiental}}

El trabajo de educación ambiental con la comunidad ha sido enfocado a talleres de tipo informativo y educativo sobre la biodiversidad de la zona y la función que cumple una reserva con los recursos naturales. Se promueve a la apropiación y defensa de los recursos naturales por parte de la comunidad, principalmente de colonos.

Wednesday 16 December 2009.

Established in 2000, El Pangán (indigenous name for the Long-wattled Umbrellabird) was the first Bird Reserve started by ProAves, with the goal of conserving one of the forests of high endemism of the southwest slopes of the Andes. It is located in the municipality of Barbacoas, Nariño Department.

It guarantees protected habitat for 48 bird species with restricted distribution and threats, while protecting a myriad of species of different orders, which heightens the need and urgency to strengthen conservation projects developed and projected into the future. The Reserve is today an example of conservation in the country.

The fulfillment of many of the goals set year after year in the Reserve is the result of the work of a large group of responsible and committed people who work every day for the conservation of biodiversity in this zone, where they have consolidated an efficient method of control of hunters and illegal wood traffickers through constant vigilance of the areas around the Reserve, in addition to the permanent presence and constant contact with the community in the protected area by establishing different conservation initiatives.

Visiting and enjoying this landscape is easier today thanks to the improvement of a suitable infrastructure that in addition to facilitating the work of conservation, research and environmental education taking place in the Reserve, excellent care to all people who love nature and close contact with wildlife that decide to visit us.

Piece of art made by plastic artists and illustrators Paula Laverde y Fernando Romero of the Conservation and Arts Foundation.

Friday 21 May 2010.

A new species of bird has been described for science and its name has been dedicated to an important family in conservation. The new species of antpitta, endemic to Colombia and South America, was called Fenwick’s Antpitta (Grallaria fenwickorum), in honor of the president of American Bird Conservancy (ABC) George Fenwick and his family for the unconditional and strong commitment for conservation of birds in Colombia.

After two years of research related to the discovery of the bird in 2008, the capture and evaluation process were outstanding, because it is one of the first times that a species is described solely with the capture of an individual which was banded, measured and photographed; also DNA samples were taken and it was later released safely to its habitat.

Tororoi de Urrao (Grallaria fenwickorum)

The habitat of this species is very restricted, characterized mainly by shrubbery composed of Chusquea bamboo in the less humid parts of the Eastern slope of the Western Cordillera. Sadly, the habitat of this species has been subject of an intensive deforestation in the past decades, reason why this bird has been proposed in Critical status according to the criteria of the IUCN-International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The habitat of this species is very restricted, characterized mainly by shrubbery composed of Chusquea bamboo in the less humid parts of the Eastern slope of the Western Cordillera. Sadly, the habitat of this species has been subject of an intensive deforestation in the past decades, reason why this bird has been proposed in Critical status according to the criteria of the IUCN-International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The article about the complete description of this species consists of 21 pages and is available at www.proaves.org. The authors give special recognition to the Fenwick Family- George, his wife Rita (Development Vicepresident for ABC) and their offsprings Cyrus, Sara and Raquel from The Plains, Virginia. It is important to highlight that the Fenwick family has dedicated personal resources to support Fundacion ProAves in the parchase and conservation of 731 hectares [1.820 acres] of the Paramo del Sol to perpetuity, establishing the Colibri del Sol Natural Bird Reserve, they also financed the research conducted to develop this important discovery.

The Grallaria Fenwickorum is a cinnamon-gray colored average size bird that weighs around 50 grams. This species is distinguished of its most near relative, the Grallaria Milleri, because it doesn’t have a brown band on its chest (this species chest is color grey uniform) and has a brown light plumage. The vocalizations of both species are different. The Grallaria Fenwickorum is a bird of shy character, forages insects in the verbiage and rarely ascends to sing in the bamboo.

Having described this species, we expect to promote more measures of conservation for Grallaria’s new species and its habitat.

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Video Reserva Natural de las Aves Colibrí del Sol.
Imágenes de la Grallaria minuto 4:24

With the support of: