Colombia is the country with the largest area of paramos in the world. It houses 50% of these ecosystems, which are located in high areas of the three mountain ranges and in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. They are inhabited by unique species of flora and fauna that enrich the great biodiversity of the country such as the frailejones, the puyas in the case of flora and in the fauna the Andean bear, the rabbit deer and amazing birds such as the Andean condor, in addition , 3 species of hummingbirds unique to these ecosystems, known as paramo barbets (Genus Oxypogon).
In addition to their exuberant beauty, they are ecosystems of utmost importance for the regulation of the water cycle, the soils and wetlands that store large quantities of water from rain and vegetation, which intercepts the water from the fog and converts it into a vital liquid, This allows countless water sources to originate from them that benefit a good part of the country’s population.
From the ProAves Reserves: Hummingbird of the Sun in Urrao, Antioquia; Andean Parrots in Roncesvalles, Tolima; Blue-crowned Parrot in Génova, Quindío; Chamicero de Perijá in Manaure, Cesar and Loro Fuertesi in Cajamarca, Tolima; ProAves protects thousands of hectares of paramo ecosystems that are key to preserving biodiversity in Colombia.
With the formation of these protected areas, ProAves has implemented various initiatives aimed at preserving the paramos and guaranteeing their long-term sustainability. Recognizing the constant threats they face due to climate change and human activity, ProAves has intensified conservation efforts to protect these high mountain ecosystems.
Among the highlighted actions are the restoration of degraded areas, reforestation with native species, research processes and constant educational campaigns aimed at raising awareness among both local communities and visitors so that they understand the importance of conserving them.
Safeguarding the Páramo del Sol habitat of the Hummingbird Coeligena orina
Recognized as the highest peak in the entire Antioquia region at 4,080 meters above sea level, it has important topographic characteristics that make up a variety of fauna and flora in this conservation area.
In an expedition carried out by the ProAves Foundation in 2004 to the Páramo del Sol, it was possible to record Coeligena urine, an Endangered (EN) species, of which there was no record for more than 50 years. Thanks to this rediscovery, the ProAves Colibrí del Sol Reserve was created in 2005 to promote its protection and conserve a fragment of area of one of the páramo ecosystems in the best state of preservation in Colombia through actions such as environmental education and investigation.
Conserve the Chilí-Barragán moors from 3 natural reserves
In the Paramun regions of the Central mountain range of Colombia, the ProAves Reserves are located: Andean Parrots, Fuertesi Loros and Blue-crowned Parrots, sites where extremely important species such as the Yellow-eared Parrot (Ognorhynchus Icterotis) and the Blue-crowned Parrot (Hapalopsittaca fuertesi) live. .
In addition to the above, this biological corridor is the home of the Concolor Puma (Puma concolor), a variety of frailejones, and the Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus), the only bear that lives in South America and which, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is in the Vulnerable category. This mammal, also known as the forest gardener, lives in Andean ecosystems and is known as the guardian of the paramos and water.
Serranía del Perijá: Protection of the moor in the Balcón del Cesar
In the ProAves Chamicero de Perijá Reserve, a fragment of moorland in the Serranía de Perijá is protected, recognized as a fauna sanctuary for this territory. This conservation area was created in 2014 with the firm intention of recovering and protecting a highly fragile and deteriorated ecosystem that had been affected by deforestation, the burning of the vegetation of the moor for the establishment of livestock, and the accelerated expansion of the agricultural frontier.
The Serranía del Perijá is characterized by housing endemic species that make it one of the most important ecological enclaves of the Andes – Caribbean transition, such as the Perijá Inca Hummingbird (Coeligena consita), the Crested Eagle (Spizaetus isidori) and the Perijá Chamicero (Asthenes perijana).
ProAves is an entity that for more than 25 years has carried the message of conservation through environmental education, research and community work. Safeguarding the paramos is a commitment that ProAves will continue to assume from its protected areas, key sites for the care of biodiversity and the most threatened species. Every kilometer traveled by the rangers, monitoring and action carried out in these areas characterized by being at long distances, represents an enormous effort to respond to the call made by the moors and their species to prevent their disappearance.
