Habitantes sigilosas de los Andes. Guía fotográfica de la diversidad de aves presente en los bosques de Polylepis del Ecuador

Eduardo Obando; Mayra Caiza; Cecilia Castañeda; Francisco Tobar

doi:10.54753/blc.v16i1.2634

Authors

Eduardo Obando 1. Fundación Ecuatoriana para la Investigación y Conservación de las Aves y sus Hábitats. Quito, Ecuador https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5800-3626
Mayra Caiza Área de Investigación y Monitoreo de Avifauna, Aves y Conservación – BirdLife en Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3963-8813
Cecilia Castañeda 1. Fundación Ecuatoriana para la Investigación y Conservación de las Aves y sus Hábitats. Quito, Ecuador https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5992-6352
Francisco Tobar Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Herbario Nacional del Ecuador QCNE., Quito, Ecuador https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8172-673X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54753/blc.v16i1.2634

Keywords:

Polylepis, High Andean biodiversity, Avifauna, Habitat fragmentation, Conservation

Abstract

The high Andean Polylepis forests are unique ecosystems characterized by high biodiversity and strong species specialization. In Ecuador, these forests are highly fragmented and have lost more than 90% of their original coverage due to deforestation, grazing, agricultural expansion, and resource extraction. Climate change increases their vulnerability by forcing their altitudinal displacement to more restricted areas, affecting numerous species dependent on these habitats.In this study, three locations with native Polylepis forests in the northern and central Andes of Ecuador were evaluated. Bird sampling was carried out using count points between July and December 2023. Forty-nine species belonging to 18 families were recorded, with the most diverse being Thraupidae, Trochilidae, and Tyrannidae. Two species are nationally threatened: Chalcostigma stanleyi (Vulnerable) and Conirostrum binghami (Endangered). In addition, the known altitudinal range of Phyllomyias uropygialis was expanded.The results highlight the importance of conserving and restoring the remaining Polylepis forests, whose integrity is essential for maintaining high Andean biodiversity, promoting ecological connectivity, and mitigating the effects of climate change.

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