January 2013. The Cerulean Warbler, a bird whose population has declined by
about 70 percent in the last 40 years, and 25 other neotropical migrating birds
are the key beneficiaries of a successful two-year-effort by American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and FundaciĆ³n ProAves
to purchase and protect key wintering habitat for the birds in Colombia, South America.
9 properties acquired
The conservation effort resulted in the acquisition of nine new properties. Those new properties now make up the western flank of the Pauxi Pauxi Reserve that was established in 2007 by the same partner groups and now totals about 4,470 acres.
The conservation effort resulted in the acquisition of nine new properties. Those new properties now make up the western flank of the Pauxi Pauxi Reserve that was established in 2007 by the same partner groups and now totals about 4,470 acres.
The purchased area is located in north central
Colombia, approximately 150 miles north of Bogota in an area of lush tropical
vegetation. The newly acquired land is part of an imposing, mountainous
outcropping called Cerro de la Paz, along the Magdalena River Valley west of
the Andes Mountains, an area that has been heavily deforested due to
agricultural and urban expansion.
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Cerulean Warbler by Bill Hubick
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"As migratory birds head south through the degraded river valley, the Pauxi Pauxi Reserve is a forested haven. We are thrilled to expand available habitat for these weary avian travelers," said David Younkman, Vice President for Conservation at ABC.
"Cerro de la Paz and the Pauxi Pauxi
Reserve is one of the best migrant hotspots in Colombia based on our
surveys," said Alonso Quevedo, Executive Director of ProAves. "It is
fantastic that our conservation efforts to protect endangered resident species,
such as the Helmeted Curassow, can also ensure vital winter habitat for dozens
of migratory species."
The Cerulean Warbler was formerly one of the
most abundant breeding warblers in the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys and
elsewhere in the U.S., but is now one of the country's most imperiled migrant
songbirds.
Cerulean Warbler numbers plummet by 70%
Overall, Cerulean Warbler numbers have plummeted by almost 70% since 1966. This elusive bird winters in the Andes and intermountain valleys, and breeds in North America from the Great Lakes region to Georgia, and west from Wisconsin to Louisiana, with particular concentrations in the Appalachians and Central Hardwoods region. Both its breeding and wintering habitat are being lost.
Overall, Cerulean Warbler numbers have plummeted by almost 70% since 1966. This elusive bird winters in the Andes and intermountain valleys, and breeds in North America from the Great Lakes region to Georgia, and west from Wisconsin to Louisiana, with particular concentrations in the Appalachians and Central Hardwoods region. Both its breeding and wintering habitat are being lost.
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