Check List 10(1): 54–71, 2014 © 2014 Check List and Authors Chec List ISSN 1809-127X (available at www.checklist.org.br) Journal of species lists and distribution Birds, Nangaritza River Valley, Zamora Chinchipe PECIES S Province, southeast Ecuador: Update and revision OF Juan F. Freile 1*, Niels Krabbe 2, Paolo Piedrahita 3, Galo Buitrón-Jurado 3, Carlos A. Rodríguez-Saltos 3, ISTS 4 5 6 L Fredrik Ahlman , Dušan M. Brinkhuizen and Elisa Bonaccorso 1 Fundación Numashir, Casilla Postal 17-12-122, Quito, Ecuador. 2 University of Copenhagen, Zoological Museum, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark. 4 Yankuam Lodge, Puerto Juá Las Orquídeas, EC 190350, Nangaritza, Ecuador. 5 3 CasillaPontificia Postal Universidad 17-07-9345, Católica Quito, del Ecuador. Ecuador, Museo de Zoología QCAZ, Av. 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca, EC 170143, Quito, Ecuador. 6 Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático, Machala y Sabanilla, EC170103, Quito, Ecuador. * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract: The remote Nangaritza Valley of southeast Ecuador has high bird diversity, combining Amazonian birds with species typical of eastern Andean slopes and foothills, a small number of taxa endemic to the Cordillera del Cóndor region of southern Ecuador and northern Peru, as well as a few forms from the dry Marañón valley region. Here, we update and review avifaunal records from the Nangaritza Valley, comparing them with the bird fauna of the Cordillera del Kutukú and making a brief assessment of bird conservation in the area. To date, 535 species are known to occur in the Nangaritza Valley, including eight species endemic or near endemic to the outer ridges and adjacent Andean slopes in southeast Ecuador and northeast Peru. Conservation perspectives in the area are not favorable owing to increasing deforestation, expansion of the agricultural frontier and mining concessions, which threaten eight regional endemic species. Introduction Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner Syndactyla rufosuperciliata The Cordillera del Cóndor runs parallel to the Andes cabanisi, Bar-winged Wood-wren Henicorhina leucoptera, in southeast Ecuador and northeast Peru, just north of and Cinnamon-breasted Tody-Tyrant Hemitriccus the Marañón River depression (Schulenberg and Awbrey cinnamomeus (Taczanowski 1875; Lowery and O’Neill 1997). The cordillera only holds a few peaks above 1964; Fitzpatrick and O’Neill 1979; Fitzpatrick et al. 1977). Then in 1993–1994, Conservation International’s and some passes are lower than 1,200 m. Parts of it are Rapid Assessment Program team explored two sites at the characterized2,000 m (max. by 3,197 tall sandstone m at 4°46′49″ outcrops S, resembling78°54′53″ W),the Nangaritza Valley, documenting 210 species (Schulenberg higher and wider tabletop tepui mountains of the Guianan and Awbrey 1997). The Academy of Natural Sciences of plateau (Neill 2007). Main vegetation types include tall Philadelphia (ANSP) collected at Chinapinza in 8–11 June premontane forests, which cover lower elevations and a distinctive dense stunted forests and shrubland growing Toyne (1998) surveyed six sites and published a list of on poor soils on hill tops (Schulenberg and Awbrey 1997; 1811993 species, (Ridgely further and Greenfield increasing 2001). the Nangaritza In 1997, Balchin bird list and to Neill 2007). As a result, the Cordillera del Cóndor region 290 species. More recently, Aves y Conservación (BirdLife has a very diverse avifauna, combining Amazonian species International in Ecuador) held eight expeditions (2000– in low valleys, Andean taxa on higher slopes and hilltops, 2004) to the Cordillera del Cóndor, as part of a three- and some endemic species (Schulenberg and Awbrey year exploratory effort covering the entire cordillera, 1997). Until recently, very little was documented about the including three sites along the Nangaritza Valley. Results birds of the Ecuadorian side of the Cordillera del Cóndor have not been fully published yet, but see Navarrete et al. (Krabbe and Sornoza-Molina 1994; Schulenberg and (2004), Ágreda et al. (2005) and Loaiza et al. (2005) for Awbrey 1997; Balchin and Toyne 1998). some information on sites along the cordillera. Additional recent explorations include work by Montalvo (2012) to access until the early 1990s, was the Nangaritza River at several sites where mining exploration is beginning, ValleyA remote (Figure area 1) (Marín of the etCordillera al. 1992; del Balchin Cóndor, and difficult Toyne and an expedition held in August 2012 to Cerro Plateado Biological Station (Krabbe et al. 2012). was carried out by the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Here, we update the bird list for the Nangaritza Zoology1998). The (WFVZ) first ornithologicalin 1987 (Marín exploration et al. 1992). of Sincethis valley then, Valley, adding new records to the results of previous other explorations have increased our knowledge of the ornithological expeditions (Krabbe and Sornoza-Molina avifauna of this region. In 1990, N. Krabbe and F. Sornoza 1994, Schulenberg and Awbrey 1997, Balchin and Toyne surveyed a campsite at Chinapinza where 114 species 1998), along with more recent explorations carried out by were found (Krabbe and Sornoza-Molina 1994). Both NK (2007, 2008, 2010, unpubl.), FA (2003–2007, unpubl.), studies found taxa formerly known only from Peru, such as DMB (2009-2013, unpubl.), JFF (2007, 2012, unpubl.), a Orange-throated Tanager Wetmorethraupis sterrhopteron, team formed by JFF, PP, GBJ, CR and EB (2009; Freile et al. 54 Freile et al. | Birds of Nangaritza River Valley, Ecuador 2011a), and a team led by NK (Krabbe et al. 2012). Further, Tissue collected by NK is deposited in Zoological we include unpublished sightings by several ornithologists Museum, University of Copenhagen, and specimens taken and bird observers from Yankuam Lodge and surroundings by him are deposited in Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias (see Capper and Pereira 2007, and http://nangaritzabirds. Naturales (MECN), Quito. Bird specimens and audio- wetpaint.com/). recordings procured by JFF, EB, CAR, GAB and PP were deposited at the Museo QCAZ de Zoología de Vertebrados, Materials and Methods and the most remarkable ones were archived to www.xeno- The Nangaritza River has its source in Cordillera canto.org (e.g., XC45910-45915). Our observations were combined with previous reports (Krabbe and Sornoza- Cordillera del Cóndor joining the larger Zamora River Molina 1994; Schulenberg and Awbrey 1997; Balchin and de Sabanillas in the Andes, and flows north along the Toyne 1998; Krabbe and Ahlman 2009; Solano-Ugalde and portions of the valley lie at ~800–900 m, and are ~8–10 Real-Jibaja 2010), and additional unpublished records kmat Loswide. Encuentros The Nangaritza (3°45′43″ Valley, asS, some78°39′13″ other areasW). Lower in the from seven sites along the valley obtained by experienced Cordillera del Cóndor, is characterized by the presence of ornithologists and birdwatchers (see Acknowledgements). tall rocky ‘tepuis’, the tallest to 2,915 m on Cerro Plateado Taxonomy of this updated checklist follows December (IGM 1994). On 1-3 and 7-10 April 2007, 10-12 February 2008, and Committee of the American Ornithologists Union (SACC, 7 August 2010, NK (in 2008 with FA, with I. Samuels in Remsen2012 classification et al. 2012) andby thespecies South authors American and publication Checklist 2010) explored at 1550-1750 m on Filo de Chumbiriatza, date are taken from the ITIS web site (http://www.itis.gov). a tepui-like mountain 4.5 km southwest of Las Orquídeas, Distribution extensions, either altitudinal or latitudinal, within an Ecuadorian context, were compared with those chorus audio-recordings and random observations and audio-recordings,at 4°15′32″ S, 78°41′05″ mist-netting, W), makingand tissue systematic collecting. dawn In updates carried out by Solano-Ugalde and Freile (2012). April 2009, JFF and colleagues carried out two expeditions reported by Ridgely and Greenfield (2001, 2006) and to two ‘tepuis’ protected by the local Asociación San Results and Discussion Miguel de Las Orquídeas, one the same visited by NK and A total of 535 species have been recorded to date in the FA, but working as high as 1830 m; the other at Miazi Alto Nangaritza Valley (Appendix 1), with new species being added to the list up to January 2013. Being a fairly remote et al. 2011a). At each site, 22 and 25 point-counts were area, only recently opened to ornithological exploration established,(4°16′59″ S, respectively,78°37′3″ W, and1256–1300 birds seen m elevationor heard (Freilefor 10 and bird tourism, we expect that new records will continue consecutive minutes were counted; additionally, eight days to emerge, including potentially new country records (e.g., of mist-netting and specimen collecting were performed. Versicolored Barbet Eubucco versicolor, Olive Flycatcher Mitrephanes olivaceus; see Schulenberg et al. 2007). New altitudinal and latitudinal records from the Nangaritza Valley are presented in Table 1. Noteworthy records are discussed below. Gray Tinamou Tinamus tao. Tape recorded (CAR, PP) inside dense primary foothill forest (1300 m elevation) at Miazi Alto campsite, and heard along the Maycu-Miazi trail (FA). Few records exist along the eastern base of the Andes, two of them at the Cordillera del Cóndor region, Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos. Two females werenorth ofseen Nangaritza and photographed (Ridgely and on Greenfield 6 December 2001). 2011 at record of the species east of the Andes in Amazonian Ecuadorthe Nangaritza (Freile Riveret al. 2013near ).Shaime (DMB). This is the first Hoatzin Opisthocomus hoazin birds was observed by N. Simpson, R. S. Ridgely, and F. Sornoza 1 km upstream of the Laberinto. A small trail,flock alongof 10–12 the Numpatakaime River. Two additional colonies were observed by JFF, T. Riera and M. Avilés along the same river, up to 1050 m (September 2012). These are the highest records of the Hoatzin in Ecuador, previously found up to The Numpatakaime is a black-water river, providing an igapó-like600 m in Ecuadorhabitat, similar(Ridgely to andthat Greenfieldoccupied by 2001, the species2006).