The ProAves Loros Andinos Reserve, located between the municipalities of Roncesvalles (Tolima) and Génova (Quindío), celebrates 16 years as a stronghold for the conservation of high Andean forests and páramos of the Central Cordillera, and as a key refuge for endangered parrot species.
Established in 2009 as a Civil Society Nature Reserve, it was reclassified in 2024 as the Loros Andinos Regional Natural Park in coordination with the Tolima Regional Environmental Authority (CORTOLIMA). The park protects more than 2,500 hectares of strategic ecosystems at altitudes ranging from 3,250 to 3,980 meters above sea level, forming part of the Loros Andinos Conservation Corridor, which also includes the El Mirador and Fuertes’s Parrot Reserves. Together, these areas safeguard over 6,700 hectares of vital habitat for endemic and threatened species, playing a crucial role in conserving the region’s unique biodiversity.
A refuge for unique species
Among the main species protected in the reserve are five parrots classified as threatened, three of them endemic to Colombia: the Yellow-eared Parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis), Fuertes’s Parrot (Hapalopsittaca fuertesi), and the Rufous-fronted Parakeet (Bolborhynchus ferrugineifrons). Additionally, more than 360 bird species have been recorded here, as well as emblematic mammals such as the spectacled bear, mountain tapir, and páramo deer.
The diversity of ecosystems — including montane forests, very humid forests, and páramo zones — makes the Reserve a privileged space for scientific research, ecological restoration, and environmental education.
Over the past 16 years, the Loros Andinos Reserve has been the site of multiple conservation efforts led by Fundación ProAves, including:
- Monitoring of threatened bird populations.
- Propagation and restoration of key plant species, such as magnolias.
- Environmental education activities with local communities and visitors.
On this anniversary, we reaffirm our commitment to protecting Andean ecosystems and conserving species found only in Colombia. Through science, education, and community engagement, the ProAves Loros Andinos Reserve continues to be a model of active and effective conservation.
