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The following is a description
of part of a birdwatching press trip organised by PromPerú
in October/November 2006. Not only did this trip reveal just
how extensive are the opportunities for seeing birds in Peru,
it is also highlighted the important role that local communities
play in the conservation of some of the avian treasures that
contribute to Peru's claim to be a "paradise for birdwatchers".
INTRO
National parks in the southeastern jungle, such as Manu, with
its rich array of habitats, and Tambopata, with its famous macaw
clay licks, are no secret for birders, but other areas previously
the preserve of dedicated birding groups are now being given
increased publicity.
NORTHERN ROUTE
One example is the northern route from Tarapoto, in the Amazonian
foothills, over the Andes to Chiclayo, on the Pacific coast.
There are many highlights: Morro Calzada, an isolated peak
near Moyobamba; Abra Patricia, a climb from 1,100 to 2,300 metres,
passing through various types of forest - allow three days to
see all it has to offer (you will be birding at the edge of
a major paved road, so you have to put up with passing trucks
and the stares and jibes of minibus passengers); the Porculla
Pass marks the crossing of the Andes to the Pacific slopes,
with several areas of Tumbesian dry forest beyond.
Not far from Chiclayo are the mesquite forest of the Pómac
Historical Sanctuary and the delightful lodge at Chaparrí,
run by Heinz, ANA and Anahi Plenge (Heinz is a renowned wildlife
photographer) in conjunction with the Comunidad Muchik Santa
Catalina de Chongoyape. At the latter, you can rise in the morning
to watch Woodstar hummingbirds bathing in the lodge's waterfall,
while Sechuran foxes root about the buildings and gardens.
On this route many of the wildlife refuges are protected by
small-scale projects, often operated by a local community with
help from Peruvian and international NGOs. Worryingly, all NGO
activity in Peru is currently under scrutiny as a new law regulating
NGOs was passed by Congress in December 2006. The law requires
organizations to register with the government's Peruvian Agency
of International Cooperation, APCI, disclose facts on donations
and how they
are spent and follow central guidelines on development, which
many fear would be a huge disincentive to donors.
POMACOCHAS
A pre-dawn start from the Puerto Pumas hotel in La Florida/Pomacochas
ensured arrival at the birdwatching site in time for first light.
Our destination was a four-hectare private reserve, bought
by a farmer, Santos Montenegro, to protect the habitat of the
Marvellous Spatuletail hummingbird, one of Peru's rarest birds.
It was barely light as the group -- four British journalists,
a Peruvian filmmaker, PromPerú's representative, our
tour leader, the guide and Santos -- set off uphill from the
road towards the reserve.
We had been birding at low altitudes in the days prior to arriving
at Pomacochas, so a hike at over 2,000 metres, even if it was
not that far, took the breath away, especially at the pace Santos
set. Low cloud and a chill in the air contrasted with the sub-tropical
climate we had been used to for the previous few days. After
a short while we set up telescopes in an area of scrub and large
stones and concentrated on the plants which still had flowers.
"This is not the best time of year to see the Marvellous
Spatuletail", said Santos. "There are most blooms
in May to July, very few now (November)". Undeterred we
scanned the bushes and patience was rewarded, thanks to sharp
eyes and Santos' expert knowledge of the terrain.
The Marvellous Spatuletail (Loddigesia mirabilis) is 10-15
centimeters long with, like many hummingbirds, iridescent plumage
in blues and greens and bronze. It prefers to feed in the understorey
of the thickets, which makes it a challenge to spot. What gives
it away is the male's tail, a pair of filaments twice as long
as its body, each ending in a racket-like blue feather.
Locally it is called "el colibrí perseguido por
una mariposa", the hummingbird chased by a butterfly. Its
range is limited to the eastern slopes of the Río Utcubamba
on the Cordillera Colán and, since this area suffers
from deforestation, it is severely endangered. Another of the
bird's `attractions' is that the male's heart is considered
to have aphrodisiac properties. Its rarity has made it one of
the most enigmatic of hummingbirds and highly-prized by birders.
Efforts by people such as Santos are helping in its protection.
Moreover, the community of Pomacochas, in conjunction with a
local NGO, ECOAN
(Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos) and with BirdLife
International, has set up a plant nursery to cultivate trees
favoured by hummingbirds, including the Spatuletail, in order
to replant corridors of vegetation.
DOWN TO THE VALLEY
Later the same day we descended from the damp chill of Sierra
to the dry heat of the Río Marañón valley,
a deep, wide depression separating two chains of the Andes.
We turned off the main highway onto the side road to Bagua
Chica and, after a few kilometers, stopped at the side of the
road. Our parking spot overlooked thorn forest on one side,
while on the other was an extensive rubbish tip. "Any proper
birding trip should include at least one rubbish dump or sewage
outflow," said one of the group.
To an amateur's eye like mine this was not a promising place,
but the Marañón valley has 24 endemic species
of bird and we went in search of a few, including the Little
Inca Finch (Incaspiza watkinsi) and the Marañón
Gnatcatcher (Polioptila (plumbea) maior). Bearings were taken
by the plastic caught in the thorns: "See the green bag
over there, the bird is at 11 o'clock from it, through the branches."
Besides the birds, asiento de suegra cacti grew among the heaps
of garbage. Squatting on the stony ground, the green skin of
the base is protected by long, sharp spines (the so-called chair
for your mother-in-law) and is topped by a dome like a layered
white-and-crimson sweet confection, sprinkled with tiny, deep
pink flowers.
This is an environment unsupported by NGOs or government-funded
national park status, just a humble, un-pristine patch of land
with the acrid smoke of bonfires and the flapping of discarded
carrier bags. In practice, it is wrecked by the usual Peruvian
habit of unloading the dustbin lorry anywhere out of town, but
it remains home to beautiful wildlife which may not be found
elsewhere.
PACIFIC LOWLANDS
Two days later, having crossed the second arm of the Andes
by the Porculla Pass to the Pacific lowlands, we visited two
sites related to the White-winged Guan (Penelope albipennis).
The bird, first collected 1876, was described 1877. The lack
of any further evidence led to the suspicion in the 1960s that
it was extinct, if not merely a figment of someone's imagination.
The ornithologist María Koepcke did not doubt its existence
and asked Gustavo del Solar, a conservationist, to look out
for the bird, which, like all the turkey-sized cracidae family,
is hunted for the pot. It was rediscovered in 1977, 100 years
after its description, by del Solar and Dr John P O'Neill (State
University of Louisiana).
Today, some 350 individuals survive in the wild. One place
where they can be seen is Quebrada Limón (or Frejolillo),
where the local community has been assisted by Naturaleza
y Cultura Internacional, BirdLife
International and the UK
Bird Fair in setting up of a project to protect the guan
and the quebrada where it lives. Local guides check on the guans'
whereabouts in order to take visitors to see them in the early
morning. The feeling of privilege at being able to see these
endangered, large black birds with their white wing feathers
is immense.
This sheltered valley has a lot more to see in the way of birds
and, before breakfast, we had ticked 46 species, almost 9 per
cent of the total seen in two weeks. Many of those observed
were specific to the Tumbesian dry forest.
The list included Tumbes Tyrant - Tumbezia salvini, Tumbes
Hummingbird - Leucippus baeri, Tumbes Sparrow - Aimophila stolzmanni
and Black-capped Sparrow - Arremon abeillei, Elegant Crescentchest
- Melanopareia elegans, White-headed Brush-Finch - Altapetes
albiceps, Pacific Elaenia - Myiopagis sublacens, Andean Tinamou
- Nothoprocta pentlandii, Red-masked Parakeet - Aratinga erythrogenys,
Peruvian Pygmy-Owl - Glaucidium peruanum, Ecuadorian Trogon
- Trogon mesurus, Scarlet-backed Woodpecker -Veniliornis callonotus
and Guayaquil Woodpecker - Campephilus gayaquilensis, White-tailed
Jay - Cyanocorax mystacalis and Baird's Flycatcher - Myiodynastes
bairdii. In addition, there were puma footprints on the paths,
large Guayaquil squirrels romping through the trees and Sechura
fox in the scrub.
A few kilometers from Quebrada Limón is Olmos, the best
base for visiting the area. On the outskirts is the White-winged
Guan captive breeding centre, Zoocriadero Bárbara d'Achille,
and the Asociación Cracidae Perú, set up Gustavo
del Solar and directed by Fernando Angulo Pratolongo. Captive
breeding started in 1979 and the first reintroduction into the
wild was made in 2001 at Chaparrí (further south in the
dry forests on the foothills of the Andes).
UK Bird Fair
funds will lead to eight birds being reintroduced in December
2006 in the Laquipampa Reserved Zone (a dry forest belt ranging
from 500-2,500 metres, also to the south). Here again, it is
national and international NGO support, plus backing from the
brewing company Backus, which ensures that these projects are
maintained.
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