An ancient forest in Ecuador is the last stand for a tiny hummingbird facing extinction
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Deep in the Ecuadorian Andes, an ancient forest provides a last sanctuary from encroaching human activity. This is the Yanacocha Reserve, the last refuge of the black-breasted puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis), a small hummingbird on the verge of extinction.
Measuring just 9 centimeters (3.5 inches), this iconic bird of Quito is one of the most endangered species on the planet. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, its global population has fallen to between 150 and 200 birds.
Founded 25 years ago by the Jocotoco Foundation, the Yanacocha reserve has become a centerpiece of Andean biodiversity.
“We realized we were conserving an entire ecosystem, not just one species,” conservationist Paola Villalba told the Associated Press.
The bird is easily identified by the striking white ‘pants’ of feathers around its legs, which contrast sharply with its deep metallic black breast and bronze-green wings. Despite its beauty, its survival is threatened as high altitude forests are cleared for grazing and agriculture.
Shirley Farinango of the Birds and Conservation Foundation notes that the pressure is more intense because the puffleg occupies a narrow ecological niche between 3,000 and 3,500 meters (9,800 and 11,400 feet) above sea level. This specific elevation, she said, is “prime territory” to convert to agricultural land.
On the slopes of the Pichincha volcano, 45 kilometers northwest of Quito, conservationists are now racing to restore this cloud-shrouded forest.
For the “smallest fairies” of the Andes, these dense trees are more than just a habitat: they are their last refuge.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
