Bird Reserve of Soata Province Protects Endangered and Endemic Birds

James Ed. Ducey

The newly established Soata Reserve conserves habitat for endangered and endemic species of Columbia, and other migratory bird species, according to the Bird Group of Soata.

Members of the group - Alejandro Hernandez, Oswaldo Cortes, Sandra Alarcon, Daira Ximena Villagran, Jose Gil and Giovanni Chaves - have conducted surveys and research in the dry valleys and premontane forests of the Soata Province for several years, Cortes said.

Chestnut Bellied Hummingbird. Pictures courtesy of the Soata Bird Group.

The initial reserve, comprising 700 hectares, was based on the occurrence of the Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird and Niceforos Wren in the region around Soata, Boyaca department, Cortes said. This region is in central Columbia.

Findings of their reserach were recently published in a report titled: “Reserve Birds Of Soata - Saving the Chestnut Bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia castaneiventris), Niceforos Wren (Thryothorus nicefori) and Mountain Grackle (Macroagelaius subalaris).”

The report summarized finding for two of the most notable species.

Chestnut Bellied Hummingbird: “…inhabits promontane forest occuring principally between 2400 and 1800” meters. There was “evidence that the species should not be rare due to a specialised diet and the most frequently used, Yatago are widely distributed in the birds’ range. It is likely that flowering patterns of these and other species are responsible for the seasonal movement of the hummingbird; this is supported by the fact that most records of the species from Soata occur after May when flowering peaks in the area.”

“This species is critically endangered because it has an extremely small known range in which suitable habitat is severely fragmented and continuing to decline,” according to the species factsheet at Birdlife International. The estimated population was given as less than 100 birds.

Niceforos Wren.

Niceforos Wren: “The highest altitudinal record was at 2000 m in vereda La Costa (Soata), and the lowest altitudinal record was at 1800 m. The largest group recorded was 20 birds recorded in a river forest in madre de agua (Trichanthera gigantean) and Manila tamarind or Monkeypod (Pithecellobium dulce) trees. Niceforos Wrens were mainly recorded singing in the morning.”

Other bird species found in oak forests of the Soata Reserve were the Mountain Grackle, Rusty Faced Parrot (Hapalopsittaca amazonina), Yellow flamed Parakeet (Pyrrhura calliptera) and Black Inca (Coeligena prunellei).

“The immediate need for the protection of these bird populations is to establish some form of reserve around known foraging areas and areas of mature forest,” Cortes said. “This does not have to take the form of Nature Reserve, but may involve identifying species protection areas. This would help assure that certain activities, such as wood burning, felling of trees over 20 meters tall, and other activities such as housing development could not take place in these areas. Any development would be carried out in accordance with ecologically sensitive guidelines.”

Also, to assist in habitat conservation, Cortes said, “no non-native plants should be introduced to gardens, native trees should not be cut down, and that stands of trees must be planted along roadsides to soften the habitat damage. Use of pesticide chemicals should be banned or strictly controlled.”

Legal protection is another important focus of the Bird Group of Soata.

“As has proved useful in the Soata” Cortes said in an email, “the introduction of legal protection of the Chestnut Bellied Hummingbird, Niceforos Wrens, Mountain Grackle, Rusty Faced Parrot would allow criminal charges to be brought against anyone proven to intentionally or recklessly disturb or harm any hummingbirds, whether in the roost or foraging.”

Although we don't have the facilities of other reserves in our country,” Cortes said, “this is one step for the conservation and research of our bird heritage.”

Members of the Soata Bird Group.

The Bird Group “would like to thank several individuals and organizations who provided advice, support, resources, logistical help and encouragement throughout the period of this project. These include important contribution by Neotropical Bird Club, Corporacion Ocotea, Fundacion Quincha, The Birdfair/RSPB Research Fund for Endangered Birds, American Bird Conservancy, Birdes Exchangers, Fundacion Colibri y Fundacion Proaves which made possible field research and information gathering. Special thanks to family Sanabria and Marquez and all volunteers for their hard work in the field. The Sanabria Family, gave permission to work on their property and Alcaldia Municipal de Soata, for their genuine interest in the protection of the species which lead them to support this study.”