Fundación ProAves: We are a Colombian non-profit organization that focuses on the study and conservation of our biodiversity, especially birds at risk of extinction and their habitats, in partnership with local communities. Our objective is to support and promote the protection of Colombia’s incredible but endangered natural heritage with the ultimate aim of benefiting the planet and humanity.

“Por la conservación en el país de las Aves”

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Fundación ProAves hatched in 1998 out of the initiative of a group of dedicated Colombian conservationist interested in saving the Yellow-eared Parrot. ProAves’s mission is to protect birds and their habitats in Colombia through research, conservation actions and community outreach.

ProAves is a registered non-profit organization with free membership, open to all who share our vision to prevent the extinction of threatened species and protect key sites, with the help of citizens who are proud of their natural resources and who will promote development in harmony with nature.

The passion and commitment of the ProAves family thrives on our partnerships and collaboration with different individuals, groups and organizations, at local, regional and national levels, working together for conservation. Colombians have a great passion for nature and we are always encouraged to find communities eager and willing to cooperate.

ProAves is a UK registered charity that supports the work of Fundación ProAves in Colombia.

 

 

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International Environment Fair news
Friday 27 July 2012.

The 2012 International Environment Fair held in Bogotá in June received more than 19,000 people. ProAves had a stand at the event where our mission and actions were shown to the public and many other participating entities. Over 200 new members for ProAves signed up at the event.

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Annual Planning Meeting – 2012 ProAves
Thursday 26 January 2012.

From the 11th to the 17th of January the annual planning meeting took place with aims of assessing the activities carried out during the previous year and to strategically plan actions to be undertaken in 2012.

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2011 was an Exceptional Year for ProAves!
Thursday 25 January 2012.

These are just a few of the achievements obtained thanks to the hard work of 65 members of the ProAves team and with the selfless support of over 10 organizations committed to the conservation of the incredible, yet threatened biodiversity of Colombia.

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New Colombian stamps promote Endangered birds
Thursday 8 April 2010.

A colorful set of nine new stamps entitled “Endangered Colombian Birds” has been issued, which includes eight species which are protected in ProAves reserves across Colombia, such of the Yellow-eared and Fuertes’ Parrot.

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Invitation to “NATURE”: paintings of nature for conservation
Wednesday 28 October 2009.

The cultural center Skandia, ProAves and the Art and Conservation Project are pleased to invite you to the exhibition of “Nature” paintings of Colombian nature by the artists Emmanuel Romero Laverde and Paula Andrea Ardila.

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Miniature, the art of Nature in miniature
Friday 31 July 2009.

As part of the Colombian Independence celebration (July 20), ProAves and artists Fernando Laverde and Paula Andrea Romero, with the support of the National Parks administration, invite everyone to visit the exposition “Miniature”, the art of nature in miniature.

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Annual Report 2008 published
Wednesday 15 April 2009.

ProAves 2008 Annual Report has been publish and available online to show our major achievements during the past year. ProAves is also proud to have completed 10 years of conservation, with numerous successes, such as setting up 15 bird reserves conserving 78% of threatened species in Colombia.

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ProAves Council assists 5-year planning
Monday 16 February 2009.

Celebrating 10 years of conservation, the ProAves Advisory Council and senior staff met in El Dorado Bird Reserve to refine a five year institutional strategy. ProAves future focus will be on conservation actions for threatened biodiversity across Colombia.

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ProAves accepted as new IUCN member
Friday 5 December 2008.

ProAves is pleased to announce that it has been admitted as a formal member of IUCN – the International Union for Conservation of Nature during the last World Conservation Congress held during October 2008 in Barcelona, Spain.

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ProAves receives international bird conservation award
Tuesday 19 February 2008.

ProAves recieves a prestigious conservation award from Partners in Flight (PIF) for its outstanding contributions to bird conservation in the America’s.

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ProAves Annual Report 2006
Saturday 4 August 2007.

ProAves presents its “Annual Report 2006”, summarizing important achievements such as the creation of five new reserves, the production of bird-friendly coffee, a new subspecies, and much more.

Through the development of diverse tools, products and programs, Fundación ProAves works to generate strategies of environmental education with the intention of increase knowledge, sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity in our country, with a special emphasis into birds. ProAves understands the significance of working in cooperation with the population living in the outskirts of the reserves, since this association guarantees the continuity end effectiveness of field work, and with their valuable support, ProAves can ensure a complete and structured work. In the same way, the intervention in areas where there is no constant work being carried out, is highly important for the general care of the environment, ensuring the permanence of birds in Colombia and, generally, of the world. Within the area of environmental education, Fundación ProAves develops different programs in order to create a process of sensibility within the population. Bird Friends Ecological Groups The group is intended for kids and youngsters, where different activities related to environmental education are carried out, such as workshops, bird site-seeing trips, conferences, cinemas, forums, among others.   Bird Friendly Schools Schools linked to ProAves participate in some activities related to conservation, research and environmental education that are being carried our by ProAves in each region. During this training is delivered educational materials such as leaflets, stickers and posters, this makes children become more motivated to participate in the activities proposed by ProAves.      Social Service Mostly directed to educational institutions with 10th and 11th level (high school), in which social service is a curricular obligation; Fundación ProAves proposes the linkage to diverse activities being carried out in each of its Natural Reserves.      Young Researchers Group made of by a young group of people interested in conservation and research of bird species studied by Fundación ProAves.  Chicks Are children under 6 years who conducts workshops for conservation and preservation with the goal of that from his earliest years, children know their relationship with nature and the importance of protecting it. Parrot Bus The Parrot Bus is a mobile classroom of environmental education that drives along the entire country in order to generate conscience among the entire population with knowledge, conservation and sustainable use of the biodiversity of our country, using informational panels, didactic games, workshops, discussions and videos.     Campaigns These are educational processes in favor of one endangered bird species or a group of them. Festivals Events developed in favor of one endangered bird species or a group of them.  Educational resources As support to the environmental education activities developed by ProAves.

 

 

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Environmental Education and Conservation
Thursday 16 September 2010.

Thanks to Loro Parque Fundación we have advanced environmental education activities in Roncesvalles, Tolima. See the latest activities and achievements towards saving the Endangered Quindío Wax Palm and the adoption of the Yellow-eared Parrot as the municipality symbol.

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Celebrate World Environment Day
Thursday 10 June 2010.

On June 5th, ProAves celebrated World Environment Day with a month-long campaign of environmental education with the objective of making rural communities across Colombia aware of the importance of conserving the habitat of some of the most endangered wildlife on the planet.

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ProAves Celebrated Earth Day
Sunday 25 April 2010.

Framed within the “2010 Year of Biodiversity”, ProAves celebrated Earth Day on April 22nd; the celebration included a special program of outreach activities in rural municipalities across Colombia and in the city of Bogotá. Earth Day and the Year of Biodiversity: join forces with ProAves to help save the planet.

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Release of 13 Yellow-crowned Parrots in Caldas
Friday 23 April 2010.

Thirteen Yellow-crowned Parrots were released back into the wild in forests beside the La Miel river, in the department of Caldas. The release was part of a collaboration between CORPOCALDAS and ProAves to save biodiversity in the beautiful department of Caldas.

Research is at the core of every one of our preservation actions.

The belief that biodiversity can not be preserved by ad hoc actions is becoming an increasing tendency in the conservationist community. They think that the threat is too overwhelming to be addressed by the limited resources available in the form of projects that lack a strategic line and a sound basis for the monitoring of its activities.

The field of research of Fundación ProAves has a 10 years proven experience and expertise in the design and implementation of projects that increase the scientific knowledge concerning some species allowing us to know the economic requirements for their conservation as well as the threats that would endanger their well being.

ProAves has worked with 78% of the total endangered and vulnerable species of Colombia and our mission is to continue and to increase our research activities so that we will be able to design and implement conservational activities aimed at covering 95% of the population of endangered bird species in Colombia.

The work that we have carried out so far has only been possible thanks to the generous donations of our contributors, the environmental agencies collaborating with us in the area and to the community that have always been closely and enthusiastically linked to each one of our projects.

The different projects implemented by Fundación ProAves are:

Thereatened parrots

The parrot species belongs to the Psittacidae family, the world most endangered bird species. 21% of them are in danger and this is the reason why ProAves has dedicated its actions to look after these species since 1999.

Migratory Birds Project

The aim of this project is to monitor and preserve neo-tropical endangered migratory birds. From 27 monitoring stations located in different regions of Colombia our team registers all the data concerning these migratory birds.

Threatened bird species project

9% of bird species in Colombia are listed in any danger and 21% of these are endemic, ProAves understands its importance and struggle to keep them.

Monitoring

ProAves is trying to implement a monitoring system for birds using the standardized methodologies available in Colombia. With this procedure, the Foundation hopes to compile the necessary information to develop strategic programs and to build the basis for the preservation of the different bird species endangered.

Database Project

Since 2003 ProAves has dedicated its efforts to gather information with an emphasis on the threatened species of Colombia so as to determine the preservation needs that they require. If you want to support our research activities around Colombia please donate on line or write to fundacion@proaves.org

Programas desarrollados:

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Establisment:

(Cephalopterus peduliger)

The Pangán Bird Reserve was created in 2002 through the interest of the fundación ProAves to conserve forests in the South Pacific in the Nariño foothills on the western slope of the western mountains, in the department of Nariño, Barbacoas Town.

This area is considered one of the most biodiverse areas of Colombia with a high number of endemic species which makes it one of the highest priority ecosystems for conservation. It has been affected by the rapid growth of surrounding communities and the expansion of different crops in the area.

Also, because of its location a binational corridor can be created together with other protected areas and indigenous reserves, thus promoting the conservation of the habitat of about 45 species of endemic birds like the Pangan, the local name for the Long-wattled Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus peduliger). It is also classified by the Alliance for Zero Extinction as an AZE site http://www.zeroextinction.org

Currently the reserve is at an altitude range between 550 and 1,900 meters above sea level, it has more than 17.300 acres of directly protected conservation land and 20.613 acres indirectly preserved by a process of awareness with people from the nearby villages among which are Junín, San Francisco de Cuchirrabo, Mirador de Tajadas, El Gualte and El Gavilán.

Ecosystem:

Climate: It has a minimum temperature of 12 º C and maximum 24 ° C.

Biophysical characteristics: It is geographically located in the foothills of the western plain of the nudo de los pastos in Ñambí River Basin, a tributary of the river Telembí and thanks to the purchase of new properties the river Yaguapi is also being protected. Tropical rain forest and montane rain forest are also present.

Biodiversity:

In the El Pangán Bird Reserve there are approximately 360 species of birds, among which 21 are threatened, 2 endangered, 13 near threatened, 4 vulnerable and 49 endemic 4 (EBA 041-Stattersfield et al. 1998). Amongst Herpete there is a record of about 21 species of amphibians in 6 families and 17 species of Reptiles distributed in 7 families. Amongst mammals there is a record of about 36 species distributed in 21 families of which 10 are globally threatened. Likewise, there is a variety of diurnal Lepidoptera, 91 species distributed in 68 genera, 6 families and 14 subfamilies, of which 28 are endemic species, 20 species are rare or very rare and 66 are common species.

Infrastructure:

The Pangán Bird Reserve has a main lodge that can accommodate 45 people comfortably; it also has water service, electricity grid, kitchen and a meeting room.

The entrance to the main cabin reservation is made along a 2.7 km long path, in very good condition that allows you to observe the flora and fauna of this area, in addition to this, there are 4 paths through much of the reserve totaling 12km, which are used for ecotourism and research.

In addition to the cabin on the reserve, we have a two-story house in Junín, which is used for short stays and as an educational center, as it has a conference room, two bedrooms, bathrooms, showers and water and electricity.

El Pangan Bird Reserve – hut.

General recommendations:  

• Respect the natural values of the reserve, plants, and animals.
• You are not allowed to collect biological material.
• Follow the instructions of the reserves personnel and use the established paths.
• Camping is not permitted on the Reserve.
• Impermeable boots must be worn.

Income and visits:

Contact or visit:visit@conservation.co y fundacion@proaves.org

With the support of:

 

Related news

Oil pipeline theft threatens biodiversity in the Nariño
Friday 8 October 2010.

A major Ecopetrol oil pipeline from the Amazon to the Pacific coastal port of Tumaco is being severely damaged as people drill holes into the pipeline to extract and process oil for producing cocaine! The resulting major oil spills run into the “El Pangan Reserve” to destroy forest and contaminate its once pristine rivers.

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El Pangan Bird Reserve celebrates its 10th Anniversary
Wednesday 16 December 2009.

Protecting over 11,900 acres of pristine foothill and subtropical forest on the Pacific slope of the Andes in southwest Colombia, El Pangán Bird Reserve guarantees the protection of 48 extremely range-restricted bird species and represents one of the most important protected areas for biodiversity in the Chocó region.

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Young Conservationists help in El Pangán Reserve
Thursday 30 April 2009.

Members of ProAves Young Researchers group have been helping manage the El Pangán Bird Reserve in Nariño and outreach activities. However, the group is seeking the support of used binoculars.

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New bird discovered, but feared extinct
Wednesday 25 March 2009.

After over 120 years, a new Colombian bird for science has been discovered and decribed from Medellin by ProAves Council members. ProAves searched for the new subspecies called Giles’s Antpitta (Grallaria milleri gilesi), but proclaimed extinct.

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Ecological disaster: oil spill for cocaine
Wednesday 25 March 2009.

A critical area for biodiversity and indigenous communities in the Chocó region, has been devastated by an oil spill started by thieves stealing oil to produce gasoline for cocaine processing. Please help: support our forest guardians.

The birds are a very diverse group comprising the terrestrial vertebrate taxa varied and their ecology, behavior, biogeography and taxonomy are relatively well known, which transforms them into a solid unit for use with monitoring and evaluation purposes. Functionally, the birds are important for controlling insect populations, seed dispersal and pollination combined with defined types of studies and distance make this group particularly useful for assessing and managing impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem change . This close relationship of birds with different habitats and transformations of them has done that 9% of birds in Colombia is ranked in some degree of threat, including 62% of endemic species.

The latest revision of the classification of threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (2006), shows how changes in categories result, in most cases, to have more precise information available about the species. This is why it framed in overall conservation ProAves, the endangered species program has been created with the main aim of increasing knowledge and promoting specific conservation actions on endangered bird species in Colombia.

This program has been developed through the implementation of over 100 investigations around 35 Endangered species on various aspects of natural history, behavior and ecology, which have laid the groundwork for the development of conservation tools such as the implementation of the Birds Nature Reserve, which in turn potentiate the protection of habitat for a greater number of threatened and endemic species. Currently, the Nature Reserves of the birds, protect the habitat of 83 of the 155 (53.54%) species in some category of threat, which correspond to 8 of the 11 Critically Endangered (72.7%), 14 out of 22 In Hazard (63.6%), 30 of the 48 Vulnerable (62.5%) and 32 of the 61 near-threatened (52.4%) recognized so far in Colombia.

Overall Objective

Pyrrhura calliptera

Strengthen throughout Colombia the monitoring and preservation actions designed for four species of parrots, namely Pyrrhura Colombia; Pyrrhura viridicata (endangered); Pyrrhura calliptera (vulnerable); Pyrrhura caeruleiceps (probably critically endangered) and Pyrrhura melanura pacifica through Colombia.

Specific objectives

Monitoring and research:

To monitor the population of Pyrrhura Pyrrhura calliptera viridicata and to estimate its population trends.

To intensify studies of the ecology and reproductive biology of P. and P. viridicata calliptera.

To increase the research spectrum on caeruleiceps P. (inc. pantchenckoi ssp) together with the collaboration of the local community.

Implementation of a thesis study on P. m. pacifica . pacifica.

Storage:

Provision of artificial nests for P. m. pacifica .

Expansion of the artificial nest initiative for P. viridicata

Monitoring and maintenance of artificial nests.

Environmental education:

Implementation of the campaign “Adopt a nest” so as to support the initiative of artificial nests.

Available visits to the “Loro Bus” in the study areas considered for the Pyrrhura Project.

 

Related news

 

 

New locality for the Todd’s Parakeet
Monday 27 September 2010.

An exploration by ProAves in Cesar Department has discovered an important new population of Todd’s Parakeet (Pyrrhura caeruleiceps) that is considered to be Critically Endangered. This represents only the third extant population of the species and only surviving population in the Serranía de Perijá.

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Flame-winged Parakeet nesting filmed
Tuesday 23 December 2008.

The first images of the threatened Flame-winged Parakeet have been captured within an artifical nest-box as part of Project Pyrrhura supported by Fundación Loro Parque.

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Perija Parakeet roost site discovered
Sunday 21 December 2008.

A study on a small population of the little known Perijá Parakeet surviving in a highly fragmented forest area near the town of Ocaña, department of Norte de Santander has discovered much exciting new information.

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