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Research
First Bolivian observation of Swallow-tailed
Cotinga Phibalura flavirostris boliviana in 98 years
A. Bennett Hennessey
La subespecie Phibalura flavirostris boliviana esta conocida por solo tres
especimenes y sin observaciones desde 1902. La especie tiene una distribución
amplia con unos 2.200 km entre la población en Bolivia y la subespecie en el
este de Brasil. El plumaje de las dos subespecies es distinto. Durante una
investigación cerca de Pata, nor-oeste de Apolo de Parque Nacional Madidi,
observé un ejemplar de P. f. boliviana en el borde de un bosque húmedo a 2.000 m. Observé con suficiente detalle para
verificar la subespecie pero no el sexo. No existe mucha información sobre la
historia natural de las dos subespecies y ninguna información de vocalizaciones
de P. f. Boliviana. Las dos poblaciones
están probablemente aisladas genéticamente y es posible que P. f. boliviana puede ser
significantemente diferente a P. f.
flavirostris para merecer el estatus de especie. Si P. f. boliviana esta considerada como una especie seria bajo el
estado amenazada critica.
The type-specimen of the Bolivian
Swallow-tailed Cotinga Phibalura
flavirostris boliviana was collected near Aten (initially published as
Atten;
14°56'S 68°19'W, 1,500 m, c.32 km south-east of Apolo), dpto.
La Paz,
Bolivia
and preserved in the American
Museum of Natural History
by R. S. Williams2. He collected a male on
20 August 1902 and a female on 6
August 19022. The
record was considered a range extension of c. 2,200 km from the only other
known population in south-east Brazil (Bahia south to Rio Grande do Sul), with
a few records in Paraguay (west to Guairá) and Argentina (Misiones)2,4,7.
Krabbe5 noted a mounted P. f.
boliviana in the Zoological
Museum,
University of Copenhagen,
collected prior to 1847, in dpto. La
Paz,
Bolivia,
but without further details.
Chapman3 described the Bolivian
population of Swallow-tailed Cotinga as a new subspecies based on plumage
differences. The male P. f. boliviana is notably different from P. f.
flavirostris having the white post-auricular area broader, extending to the
posterior half of the throat, with only the chin and anterior half yellow3.
The abdominal region is unmarked, with less black streaking on the sides and
flanks3. Female P. f.
boliviana differs in that the throat is not spotted, the crown and
head-sides are greyer, the abdominal region is striped like the male, and the
undertail-coverts are unmarked3. Both sexes of P. f. boliviana have longer retrices than the nominate3.
During a Wildlife Conservation Society
expedition near Pata, north-west of Apolo in Madidi National Park, I observed P. f. boliviana on 9 September 2000 at
the edge of a humid valley forest at 2,000 m (14°39'S 68°36'W). At 07h38, I
briefly observed a P. flavirostris perched
c.25 m above ground on an exposed limb c.3 m above the canopy. It was on the
edge of a small (2-4 km2) forest fragment among 'slash and
burn'-maintained pastures. I noted its long 'swallow tail', the black mask, and
yellow back with black scalloping, before it flew over a ridge and into
adjacent forest. Three individuals appeared from this valley at 07h43, one
landing on the same perch as in the earlier observation. I observed this
individual from below for c.30 seconds, noting sufficient detail to verify that
it was P. f. boliviana due to the
broad clean white post-auricular area extending to the throat, but was unable
to sex it. The black exposed primary line was seen to be half the width of the
Tudor depiction6, and the feet were orange, not pink as shown in one
photo of P. f. flavirostris1.
The other two probably were P. f.
boliviana based on size and shape, but I did not observe sufficient detail
to accurately identify the subspecies. It is possible that this taxon exists
north-west of Pata in an extensive area of unstudied, suitable mid-montane forest,
of c.1,600 km2, in Madidi
National Park, and possibly in the poorly studied
south-east part of adjacent Tambopata National Reserve,
Peru.
The large distance between populations and lack
of observations in
Argentina
and
Paraguay
since 19778 suggests that the two subspecies probably are isolated
genetically. Both taxa are high research priorities9 with little
natural history and no vocalization data for P. f. boliviana. It is possible that boliviana could be sufficiently distinct from flavirostris to warrant species status. P. f. boliviana, if considered a species, would warrant Critical
conservation attention according to BirdLife International small-range and
small-population criteria8. More research is urgently needed to
determine the taxonomic and conservation status, range, habitat requirements
and movements of boliviana.
Acknowledgements
The research was part of the Biodiversity
Surveys component of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) project 'Biodiversity
Conservation at the Landscape Scale' financed by WCS and USAID Global through
the Cooperative Agreement LAG-A-00-99-00047-00. I thank the Protected Areas
Service (SERNAP) for permission to work within
Madidi National Park
and Rob Wallace of WCS for inviting me on this expedition. I am grateful for
assistance from Fernando Pacheco, Van Remsen, Robert Ridgely, and Jeremy Speck
at BirdLife International. Thanks also to Sebastian Herzog for reviewing the
manuscript.
References
1. Bushell, C. (1986) Photo Spot:
Swallow-tailed Cotinga Phibalura
flavirostris Cotinga 6: 75-76.
2. Chapman, F. M. (1926) Philbalura flavirostris Vieill. in
Bolivia. Auk 18: 99-100.
3. Chapman, F. M. (1930) A new race of Philbalura flavirostris from
Bolivia. Auk
22: 87-88.
4. Hayes, F. E. (1995) Status, distribution and biogeography of the birds of
Paraguay.
Colorado Springs:
American Birding Association (Monogr. Field Orn. 1).
5. Krabbe, N. (1984) An additional specimen
of the Swallow-tailed Cotinga Phibalura
flavirostris boliviana. Bull. Brit.
Orn. Club 104: 68-69.
6. Ridgely, R. S. & Tudor, G. (1994) The birds of South
America, 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
7. Saibene, C. A., Castelino, M. A., Rey, N. R., Herrera, J.
& Calo, J. (1996) Inventario de las
aves del parque nacional 'Iguazu', Misiones, Argentina.
Buenos
Aires: Literature of Latin America.
8. Stattersfield, A. J. & Capper, D. R.
(eds.) (2000) Threatened birds of the
world. Cambridge,
UK: BirdLife International.
9. Stotz, D. F., Fitzpatrick, J. W. Parker,
T. A. & Moskovits, D. K. (1996) Neotropical
birds: ecology and conservation. Chicago:
University of
Chicago Press.
A. Bennett Hennessey
Bolivian
IBA Coordinator, Armonía/ BirdLife Int. Casilla 1788, La Paz, Bolivia.
E-mail: tangara@unete.com.
La Importancia de bajo Río Beni (Lago Estrella) y la
Amenazada Mamaco Crax globulosa
Información sobre la conservación de Mamaco
La pava Mamaco Crax globulosa está considerada como una especie
vulnerable y en alta prioridad de investigación y conservación (Collar et al.
1994, Stotz et al. 1996). Mamaco es
también una prioridad de la ONG Boliviana Armonia y su programa de Áreas
Importantes para las Aves en Bolivia (IBA para sus siglas en ingles). Mamaco tenia poblaciones en varios sitios en
Súdamerica pero ahora esta extinta en muchos lugares y todo el Ecuador. Bajo Río Beni es el único lugar en Bolivia
donde todavia sigue la especie (Gyldenstolpe, N. 1945).
Los bosques tropicales de Bolivia tienen una historia de alto impacto de
cazería. Desde los días ancianos de la
colecta de quinina para paludismo, la colecta de látex de los árboles de
siringa para hacer goma, después la colecta de pieles de los mamíferos y
caimanes grandes y hasta el ultimo impacto intensivo de la colecta de madera. Cada vez la gente entró en las mas lejanas
esquinas del monte, cazando animales sin limites para comer, ni pensar en el
impacto de su cazería a largo plazo y sin respetar tanto al animal como a las
comunidades y sus alrededores que dependen de la carne del monte. Para Mamaco y otras especies, es importante
saber que es muy probable que el bosque tropical va a sufrir otro impacto en el
futuro.
En este
momento, es importante cuidar a Mamaco para que puedan recuperar sus
poblaciones. Los ancianos hablan de que
era una pava muy común en el pasado, y "era lindo comer su carne". Este pasado puede ser el futuro para Mamaco,
sin la necesidad de crear un parque.
Pero eso necesita un acuerdo entre las comunidades del área, un
intercambio de información e ideas para hacer un plan de protección para cuidar
las poblaciones de Mamaco.
El Mamaco
no tiene ningún valor para vender. Nadie
las quiere como mascotas y no existe una demanda en zoológicos. Su mas importante valor puede ser vivir en
poblaciones saludables en el monte, donde las comunidades pueden recibir un
ingreso del turismo y disfrutar de su carne con un sistema de cazería
sostenible. Un valor que puede continuar
para sus hijos y los hijos de sus hijos.
El primer estudio de Mamaco, entrevistas en Rurrenabaque, 1998
En 1998,
con el apoyo de World Pheasant Association y la ayuda de Fernando Dieguez,
dirigí entrevistas con varios cazadores en Rurrenabaque sobre su conocimiento
del estado de la pava Mamaco (Hennessey 1999 a y b). Con la ayuda de 14 cazadores, la mayoría de
los pobladores de la comunidad de San Marcos, confirmó que sí existe una
población de esta pava muy amenazada en Bolivia. Con los resultados muy positivos, me ayudó a
encontrar mas apoyo para hacer un estudio mas amplio sobre Mamaco. Deje un informe para toda la comunidad en
Cachichira, Carmen del Emero, San Antonio de Tequeje, San Marcos, Tokio y Villa Fatima.
Entrevistas con comunidades de
Rio Beni, mayo 2001
Con el
apoyo del Wildlife Conservation Society (Sociedad de conservación de la vida
silvestre, WCS) y Embajada de Sueca (Sida) bajé a Río Beni el 18 de mayo para
visitar el área y hablar con otras comunidades sobre Mamaco. Antes del estudio de campo en agosto queria
obtener mas información sobre el y donde se lo puede encontrar. Tenia la oportunidad de hacer algunas
entrevistas en las comunidades de Cachichira, Carmen del Emero, San Antonio de
Tequeje y Villa Fatima.
Hablé con Pabel Terrazos, Nestor Yarari, Juan Serato, Luis Mayo
Cayami, Obdulia Cerato y Juan Cabina, quienes identificaron al Mamaco con
suficiente detalle que era seguro que no existía una confusión con ninguna otra
pava. Pude saber que la única población
saludable de Mamaco es del Lago Estrella y Río Negro. También que puede existir en el futuro TCO
Tacana al Este de la comunidad de San Antonio de Tequeje. Supe que había una población de Mamaco al
Oeste de Carmen del Emero. Nestor
Yarari, como otros cazadores ancianos en el área de San Marcos confirmó que en
otros tiempos era una pava muy común en el Río Beni hasta mas abajo de Carmen
del Emero. Muchos dicen que era la mas
común pava en el área y es todavía posible que existan grupos aislados de
Mamaco en lugares alejados al impacto de cazería.
Algo interesante en las entrevistas con otras
comunidades Rió Beni abajo, es que dicen que la población de Mamaco continuaba
desminuyendo después de la época de cazería de pieles, y muchos dicen que los
madereros son los culpables, cazando sin control. Obdulia Cerato mencionó que cuando el chancho
de tropa (Tayassu peccari) desapareció, también desapareció el Mamaco, y era en
el mismo momento cuando los madereros ingresaron en el área.
Existe una otra pava en las Pampas en que el macho es muy parecido al
Mamaco, y algunos lo están confundiendo con Mamaco y dándole el mismo
nombre. La pava de las pampas es
conocida como Pava Pintada (Crax fasciolata) y es una hermana especie del
Mamaco. Las dos son muy similares, pero
el macho de Pava Pintada tiene puntos blancos al final de su cola como el Mutun
(Mitu tuberosa). La hembra de la Pava
Pintada tiene la cresta de su cabeza mas blanca, su espalda esta pintada con
líneas blancas y al final de su cola esta salpicada de puntos blancos. La Pava Pintada no esta amenazada y es común
en las pampas de Beni y Santa Cruz.
La investigación de campo de Mamaco en agosto 2001
Con los
resultados muy positivos del estudio en 1998, Sida y WCS apoyan una
investigación en el campo en agosto 2001 para confirmar donde y como se
encuentra la población, y tratar de encontrar una manera de protección que va a
garantizar la continuación de Mamaco en el futuro.
El proyecto de Armonía, Áreas Importantes para las Aves, con el
apoyo de WCS y Sida tiene planificado realizar un estudio en el campo las
ultimas dos semanas de agosto 2001.
Visitaremos el Lago Estrella para confirmar la existencia de Mamaco y
tratar de saber cuantos se encuentran en el sitio. También, vamos a visitar San Antonio de
Tequeje para viajar a un sitio mas alejado del pueblo donde Juan Serato vió una
pava similar a Mamaco. Si tenemos tiempo
después de estos estudios, trataremos de visitar un otro sitio al Oeste y mas
abajo del Rió Beni para ver si está allí también.
Agradecimientos
Primero
quiero agradecer el apoyo de todas las comunidades de bajo Río Beni,
especialmente Cachichira, Carmen del Emero, San Antonio de Tequeje, San Marcos
y Villa Fatima que hicieron posible esta investigación. Estoy especialmente agradecido por el apoyo
de Sida, WCS y WPA. Y muy agradecido por
los consejos y asistencia de D. Brooks, D. Robison, y B. Whitney.
Referencias
BirdLife
International. 2000. Threatened Birds of the World. Barcelona y Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions y
BirdLife International
Hennessey, A.B. 1999a. Estado del
Mamaco Crax
globulosa en la parte baja el Rio Beni, Bolivia.. Bol. CSG
(Cracid Specialist Group) 8.
Hennessey, A.B. 1999b. Conservation status and natural
history of the Wattled Curassow in the lower Beni river area of
Bolivia.
Annual Review of the World Pheasant Association 1998/99.
Gyldenstolpe, N. 1945.
A contribution to the ornithology of northern
Bolivia. Kung. Svenska Vet.-Akad. Handl.,ser. 3, 23(1), 300 pp.
Stotz, D.F., J.W. Fitzpatrick, T.A. Parker III and
D.K. Moskovits. 1996. Neotropical Birds: Ecology and Conservation. Univ.
Chicago Press.
Back to top
Below is an article that appeared in World Birdwatch June
2002.
Red Data Bird: Wattled Curassow
 The Wattled Curassow Crax
globulosa, ("Mamaco" in
Bolivia),
is a large arboreal member of the New World Cracid family that includes
curassows, guans and chachalacas. Like many South American Cracids, it was
common before the 1940s but became rare after the 1960s, and is now relegated
to small patches of inaccessible seasonally inundated "varzea" rainforest. The
male Wattled Curassow has a bright red, knob on top of its bill, and a round
wattle underneath it.
In 1997,
Dan Brooks of the Cracid Specialist Group brought Armonía's (BirdLife in
Bolivia)
attention to the long absence of information on this threatened species. Guans
and curassows are normally well-known birds, because they are hunted, so we
decided first to collect local community information. In 1998, Armonía received
support from the World Pheasant Association and detailed 1:100,000 maps from the
USA Defence Mapping Agency to conduct a local information study in the town of
Rurrenabaque, Dept. of
Beni, close to the site of the last confirmed record of this species in
Bolivia, in
1937.
Many of the older caiman skin and cat pelt hunters
had known the bird well all over lower Rio Beni, but the species had declined
over 15 years, during the height of the fur-collecting period in Bolivia,
because of over hunting. Fur collecting stopped in the 1970s, but access to
remote areas by people in search of mahogany meant that hunting pressure on the
species continued. However, through interviews, we found convincing evidence
that a small population of Wattled Curassows still existed in a remote area
called Lago Estrella. The curassow's decline in
Bolivia had been a result of the
developed world's historical demands for rubber, fur coats, caiman leather
boots and mahogany furniture. Without substantial demand for these products,
access to remote areas, and consequent over-hunting of currassows would not
have taken place. Armonía is concerned that history may be repeated when the
next tropical forest product becomes a luxurious fashion in the developed
world.
The
information gleaned through local interviews conducted in 1998 placed the
Wattled Curassow project as a priority for Armonía's Important Bird Area (IBA)
programme. With the assistance of Bo Westman from the Swedish International
Development Agency (Sida) and Rob Wallace from the Wildlife Conservation
Society (WCS), we were able to conduct further interviews with local residents
along the lower Beni
River, in May 2001. Eight
people identified the Wattled Curassow and gave further details on past
populations and possible future sites. All the information collected pointed
towards any remaining Wattled Curassows Bliving in the
Lago Estrella-Rio Negro area.
Fieldwork was now essential to locate any
surviving birds, to assess the habitat requirements and ecology of the species,
to assess any threats to the birds, and to investigate implementation of
protection measures. In short, to design an effective conservation strategy for
the Wattled Curassow.
Sida and
WCS again provided funding, this time for a field research expedition to Lago
Estrella-Rio Negro. The Macaulay Natural Sound Library at
Cornell University's
Bird Observatory provided sound recording equipment. Our aim was to locate
Wattled Curassows, and also to assess the general bird and large mammal
communities in the area, for an analysis of possible conservation strategies,
based on appropriate research.
In late
August 2001, Bolivia IBA programme staff bushwacked into some of the most
inaccessible tropical forest we had ever encountered. Our visit was timed to be
during the dry season, when hunters had told us that Wattled Curassows
concentrate around water. Exhausted, we finally arrived at Lago Estrella, but
sadly could find no Wattled Curassows. Frustrated, but determined not to turn
back without a thorough search of the area, we pushed on to Rio
Negro. Within an hour of arriving there, and eight days into our
expedition, the guides, who had been out searching for firewood, came running
back into camp yelling "Mamaco, Mamaco". Shortly afterwards we were treated to
the sight of a magnificent male Wattled Currasow perching over us and singing
for more than an hour.
 Although rather difficult to census in this remote area, we can confirm
that there is still a population of Wattled Curassows along the
Rio Negro. We sighted several individuals, and took the
first photographs and sound recordings of the birds in the wild. The birds were
quite tame, a good sign that the Wattled Curassow is not, at least currently,
under heavy hunting pressure.
Our next
task was to create a thorough conservation plan for the species. The key points
of this plan are to create a private reserve to afford long-term protection for
the curassow population along the Rio Negro.
Local community members will be hired and trained as reserve guards and guides.
An education programme will be developed for local communities within the
historical range of the Wattled Curassow, to encourage people not to shoot the
birds, thereby allowing the species to repopulate the area. However, we
recognise the traditional hunting rights of the indigenous Tacana people and
hope to work with them, through the sustainable hunting framework already
developed by WCS, to develop a system for sustainable harvesting of Wattled
Curassows. Finally, once the curassow population has recuperated, we plan to
start an ecotourism initiative to the area. Local community members will be
hired as guides, and this will bring a source of sustainable income to the
area.
The Armonía
IBA programme is currently assessing the legal land rights in the area. We are
investigating protecting the core area with local park guards and
infrastructure supported through the interest of invested capital, to give the
project long-term sustainability. You can follow our progress on www.birdbolivia.com (see future work proposals; research, video).
Bennett Hennessey,
National IBA Co-ordinador for
Bolivia.
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Ash-breasted Tit-tyrant (Anairetes
alpinus)
 The Ash-breasted Tit-tyrant is a species very
threatened in
Bolivia. Presently I am working on a conservation ecotourism
project in the Choquetanga valley. This
was the only known site for this species in
Bolivia before Christopher Vogel's
observation in 1999 (below is our published note for Cotinga #17
-Spring/2002). I did a conservation
analysis of the Choquetanga valley in 1999 through funds from Sida. The IBA program has now launched on the
second part of the program with Manuel Olivera taking the report to the
community of Pongo to get their opinion on the problem and our potential
solution.
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UNBIASED LOCAL INFORMATION SURVEY METHOD CONFIRMS
SOUTHERN HELMETED CURASSOW ( Pauxi unicornis koepckeae ) FOR PERU
Hennessey, A. B. 2004. Unbiased local information survey method confirms Southern Helmeted Curassow ( Pauxi unicornis koepckeae ) for Peru . Bol. CSG (Cracid Specialist Group) 19. 42-45.
A. Bennett Hennessey
The Southern Horned-Curassow ( Pauxi unicornis ) is globally threatened classified as Vulnerable to extinction for its small range (BirdLife 2004). It was believed to have ranged along the eastern cloud forest of the Andean mountains from Peru to Bolivia in South America . The range of the Curassow is known recently only from central Bolivia and from two older records in Peru; two individuals collected in Cerros del Sira (El Sira: Weske & Terborgh, 1971) , and one (possible) observation in 1992 in the Cerros del Tavara area (Collar et al 1992).
Since 1997, Armonia staff have been conducting unbiased interviews for P . unicornis within the possible range in Bolivia . All interview results (30+) contained no information regarding the P . unicornis in Bolivia north of Carrasco national park. Given the threatened nature of this species, and its absence in ideal habitat in Bolivia , it was seen as a high priority to search for the remaining population of this species in Peru.
Following the success of the rediscovery of the Wattled Curassow ( Crax globulosa ) for Bolivia using local information obtained from an unbiased local information survey method (see Hennessey 1999; Hennessey 2002), Armonia (BirdLife Bolivia) designed a project which would contract a Peruvian biologist to travel the local communities near the two known sites in Peru, collecting local information regarding its present state.
INTERVIEW METHODS
Collecting local information properly is a fast and inexpensive way to collect important information about large and frequently hunted animals. Within the poorly financed conservation biology world, collecting local information is a cheap alternative that can be covered by a small grant, and which can bring further conservation attention to a species, and potential larger conservation funds. Local people tend to have an excellent knowledge of Cracids since these are popular birds for hunting. Many of the men know the species through hunting, but we have found that many indigenous women also have an excellent knowledge of the Cracids, due to the fact that they have to de-feather the birds for food preparation.
We have arrived at an unbiased interview method based on four parts: The first part is the simple unbiased question, "What Curassows do you know and could you describe them"? It is important during this first part to say as little as possible, allowing the information to be spoken without a bias. This also includes body language, hand gestures and facial expressions. The researcher must try to be objective during the interview and avoid comments that may bias the response. When the interviewed person cannot describe anymore Cracids, we begin the second part of the interview.
The second part of the interview is based on legends or historical information that may be passed down. We ask the interviewed person if the person has heard of any other Cracids, perhaps from his grandfather, or visiting friends. Within our surveys for C. globulosa many of the people commented on how their grandfathers spoke of how common the species had been, and all the different places they used to find it. With P. unicornis in Peru we found one person knew the bird from seeing it dead in the hut of another person.
If the first and second parts of the interview have been unsuccessful in obtaining information regarding the goal species, then we begin the third part. This consists of giving a small amount of information that may help in jogging the memory of the interviewed. The researcher can describe a species specific detail of the goal curassow, in our case the blue horn of P. unicornis. Sometimes this is enough information to remind someone of a past encounter, and enough to obtain more detail. But one must be wary of information at this stage, as this is not solely from the individual, and therefore could be biased.
In the fourth and final part of the survey, we show photos or artistic interpretations of the bird, as well as other Cracids we are interested in. We review the data considering the level of detail of the local information, giving higher priority to responses within the first part of the interview. We have found many people interviewed do not describe P. unicornis within part 1, 2 and 3, but yet point to the picture of P. unicornis as a species they are familiar with. This may be correct, but we feel solely identifying a picture is less accurate than someone who can describe a bird in detail with no data.
It is important to note that this method is necessary in these cross-cultural exchanges to insure the accuracy of data. I do not believe local or indigenous people are deceitful, but that it is a culturally different way of viewing the importance of data, and possibly a more vague definition of fact and fiction. Some cultures do not place as much of an importance on fact, which can easily mix with lore and myths of a region. Other times it would appear that the local person is more concerned with making the researcher happy, and will be inclined to give a positive answer, such as "yes", even if it is not correct. Asking the question to an indigenous person in Bolivian, "Is the river an hour walk away?" may receive the answer "yes", even though the person knows the walk would be over 6 hours.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Melvin Gastañaga conducted field local unbiased surveys at El Sira from 14 Sept. - 10 Oct., and at Tavara from 14 November - 4 December 2003 (see Gastañaga & Hennessey in press). She found no local information from the Tavara area, and we have come to the conclusion that we cannot confirm the possible record in the area. Moreover, with the absence of the species in surrounding areas, it is highly improbable P . unicornis exists in this area.
In the El Sira area Melvin found of 44 people interviewed, 14 people (32%) could positively describe the bird with no previous information. They all confirmed that the curassow lives up in the isolated hills of El Sira and they only find it when they travel through the forest. Unfortunately, most of the people who knew the bird had been in the areas hunting. They have been hunting P . unicornis for a long time, and their information would indicate that the population is declining in the area, as they say it is increasingly difficult to find.
From this research it would appear there is over a 1000 km gap between the "El Sira" population and P . unicornis found in central Bolivia . The "El Sira" population is highly isolated, and this leads to the question: since we know so little about the bird (i.e., song, behavior, ecology), how long has it been isolated? If the population has been isolated long enough, then it might have evolved along a different path, and could be classified as a different species that would be Critically Endangered. Even if it is not a different species, its isolation (appearing to be the only population in Peru ) requires immediate conservation attention. At least the area is considering a Peruvian legal community reserve, but unfortunately there is no protection infrastructure. We have received a grant to conduct further field research in the area in order to attempt to identify the species and possibly quantify and map the number and area of the remaining population. Armonia has also submitted a proposal to begin an education program with the local communities, and with their participation, begin a system of protection of the species and this area.
We suggest that conservationists strongly consider the use of local information as a quick and cheap way to obtain initial information. Unbiased local surveys could be of great help to define the remaining populations of C. globulosa in Peru , and Brazil , and surely for many other Cracids that are threatened by over-hunting.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was financially supported by Club300 Sweden and the Chicago Zoological Society's Chicago Board of Trade Endangered Species Fund, through the IUCN Cracid Specialist Group.
REFERENCES
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