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News Release Media Contact: Matt Clark, CEO, Nature and Culture International Office: +1(503) 432-9568, [email protected] Renzo Paladines, Executive Director of Latin America, Nature and Culture International Office: [email protected] Phone and WhatsApp: 593 99-444-5630 Newly Discovered Hummingbird is Already Close to Extinction Nature and Culture International is leading efforts to create protected area for newly discovered Andean hummingbird species Del Mar, Calif. – Oct. 3, 2018 – Perched in a creek bed in the Ecuadorian Andes, a striking bird With a brilliant blue throat has revealed itself to science for the first time. Dubbed the blue- throated hillstar (Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus), the neW species is already listed as critically endangered. However, Nature and Culture International and partners are Working in the area to establish a neW conservation area protecting its entire habitat. Dr. Francisco Sornoza-Molina of Ecuador’s Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad and colleagues first observed an unidentified hummingbird during fieldwork in the páramos of southwest Ecuador in April 2017. Published on September 26, 2018, in a study in The Auk: Ornithological Advances, the unexpected discovery is the first of its kind in almost tWenty years. The last neW bird species from Ecuador was described in 1999. Hillstars, of the genus Oreotrochilus, are unusual among hummingbirds, residing in high- elevation habitats and having special adaptation to cold temperatures. However, prior to Sornoza-Molina's discovery, none were known to have an iridescent blue throat. Small differences in appearance, genetics and calls suggests that the blue-throated hillstar is a species neW to science, researchers report. The blue-throated hillstar is restricted to the west Andean mountain ranges, in the southwestern highlands of Ecuador, an area historically poorly explored by ornithologists. Within its small range, the species is found only along bush-lined creeks in an area of about 100 square kilometers. The study estimates there are feWer than 750 individuals in the wild. Due to their small population size and threatened habitat – threats include ranching, agriculture, fires and mining – scientists fear the blue-throated hillstar is already close to extinction. Nature and Culture International is spearheading conservation efforts in the southwest Andes of Ecuador, currently working to establish a neW conservation area. The proposed area – spanning around 175,000 acres in Cerro de Arcos – Will protect the blue-throated hillstar's entire habitat in addition to critical páramo and cloud forest ecosystems, wetlands and important water sources. The area will also preserve portions of the Inca trail, an ancient trail used by the Inca empire to connect Cuzco with its northern capital, Quito. Nature and Culture collaborated with Ecuador's Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Tourism, Water Secretary, municipalities of Saraguro and Zaruma, KaWsay Foundation and local and indigenous communities to conduct biological and geographical assessments and gain community support for the proposed conservation area. Nature and Culture is now in the process of securing funding to continue and complete this declaration. Renzo Paladines, Nature and Culture’s Executive Director of Latin America, said, “This striking discovery is great neWs for the world. Now it is our responsibility – and the responsibility of all conservationists and local communities – to ensure the hummingbird’s survival.” Congratulations to Sornoza-Molina, his colleagues and all who contributed to discovering the blue-throated hillstar. # # # About Nature and Culture International. Founded in 1997, Nature and Culture International conserves biological and cultural diversity in some of the world´s most diverse ecosystems, primarily in the Andes and Amazon of South America. Over the last 20 years, Nature and Culture has helped local governments and communities conserve more than 15 million acres and designate an additional 6.4 million acres as UN Biosphere Reserves. natureandculture.org .

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