Notes on Some Birds from Central and Northern Peru
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C o tin g a 1 5 Notes on some birds from central and northern Peru A lfredo J. Begazo, Thomas Valqui, M ark Sokol and Elaine Langlois Cotinga 15 (2001): 81–87 Este artículo reporta comentarios sobre un total de 45 species de aves peruanas. Treinta de estas especies se encuentran dentro de alguna de las categorías de amenaza de extinción. El artículo cuenta con observaciones hechas en el centro y norte del Peru, las cuales se basan en avistamientos y grabaciones de vocalizaciones. Nuestro propósito es el de contribuir con información que finalmente ayude a establecer políticas de protección y conservación de la avifauna peruana. Current trends of land conversion in Latin America tary personnel are commonly considered wildlife are likely to lead to a further deterioration in bio hunters, the species was heard near El Caucho mili logical diversity. Many species and their tary base. In addition, 5–6 Pale-browed Tinamou communities will suffer from habitat transforma Crypturellus transfasciatus were heard at dusk tion, while other may be more resilient to change. (17h45) around this base. Species commonly used Diagnosing the effects of land transformation re for human consumption are often scarce or absent quires systematic data collection and near human settlements1. These species’ presence experimentation, or consistent updates on the sta near the military base suggests that hunting pres tus of the habitat and its animal communities. sure is either minimal or absent, and may not Moreover, the way birds respond to changed condi represent a threat to these species in Tumbes Na tions can be used to extrapolate the effect of habitat tional Forest. deterioration on animal communities. In this note we report observations of Peruvian White-winged Guan Penelope albipennis bird species considered threatened2 and make brief Three near ‘Quebrada Limón’ (c. 650 m), west of comments on habitat conditions. We also report Limón (03°50'S 79°40'W), 35.5 km north of Olmos, range extensions and comment on other notewor dpto. Lambayeque, on 20 July. Three groups of guans thy observations. Our purpose is to assist in in this valley are thought by local people to have monitoring the status of endangered taxa, as well dispersed from the adjacent San Isidro Valley as to report any changes in habitat. We seek to en (05°49'S 79°42'W), which has long been known to courage other observers to make their observations support the species. If true, this may suggest the generally available, in order that conservationists guan population is reaching a point of habitat satu and researchers can update knowledge of the many ration in the adjacent valley and starting to poorly known species in these regions of the coun disperse. Moreover, preliminary information from try. a recent survey conducted during March 2000 has brought evidence of new groups of guans in valleys M e th o d s adjacent to Limón and San Isidro (F. Angulo pers. Between 11 June and 31 August 1999 we covered, comm.). Noteworthy is that a group of guans, in by car, over 10,000 km in central and northern Peru. cluding two young, was subject to constant attacks Our objective was to visit known localities of spe by Black-chested Buzzard-eagle Geranoaetus cies listed as threatened2. The scope of our trip melanoleucus and Harris’s Hawk Parabuteo prevented stops of longer than four days at any lo unicinctus, and the chicks eventually disappeared. cality. We searched for target species along Although circumstantial, this observation and lo pre-existing trails and roads. Only sight records and cal residents reports suggest that raptor predation tape-recordings were made. All recordings have is an important cause of mortality among young and been deposited at the Library of Natural Sounds, adult guans. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Bearded Guan Penelope barbata R esults Three rather tame individuals near Cruz Chiquita A total of 46 species is included here. Thirty are pass, at c. 2800 m, between Huancabamba and classified as threatened: Critical (two), Endangered Tabaconas (05°18'S 79°18'W), Cerro Chinguela (four), Vulnerable (15) and Near-threatened (nine). ridge, on 21 August. The mountains on the border between dptos. Piura and Cajamarca are a strong Rufous-headed Chachalaca Ortalis erythroptera hold for this species in Peru. While there was little On 25–28 August, at least three pairs of this re evidence of deforestation along the short stretch of stricted-range cracid were heard duetting near road explored, forest between Huancabamba and Quebrada El Caucho, at 450 m (03°50'S 80°16'W), Sapalache, also on Cerro Chingúela ridge, has been in Tumbes Reserved Zone, dpto. Piura. While mili transformed into agricultural fields. Moreover, the 81 C o tin g a 1 5 Notes on some birds from central and northern Peru road under construction from Sapalache to the Ec Purple-backed Sunbeam Aglaeactis aliciae uadorian border is likely to bring further This range-restricted hummingbird was observed deforestation within the area. The species occurs near El Molino, dpto. La Libertad, on 23 July, in a in Parque Nacional Podocarpus, Ecuador, and sheltered ravine, with Alnus sp. a conspicuous ele Tabacones–Namballe Reserve, Cajamarca14. A pro ment of the plant community. A. aliciae was clearly tected area in Cerro Chingúela would protect this associated, and defended shrubs, with yellow flow and at least ten other species2. Surveys of ers that resembled Nicotiana sp. While observed Tabacones–Namballe Reserve would also be useful chasing conspecifics, once three foraged at the same to determine the population status of this and other shrub without noticeable interaction. On two sepa species within its limits. rate occasions birds perched on the same branch less than 0.3 m from each other. At the same shrub, Peruvian Pigeon Columba oenops an adult-plumaged individual was seen feeding an Common along the río Marañón, near Balsas immature. At least 4–5 were seen and the species (06°50'S 79°01'W), being seen and heard virtually was the most conspicuous hummingbird in the area, throughout 29 July. Trapping for the domestic mar followed by Tyrian Metaltail Metallura tyrianthina ket appears to have diminished as former hunters and Violet-throated Starfrontlet Coeligena violifer. have abandoned this activity or moved to different Once a sunbeam chased a Violet-throated towns (pers. obs.). Starfrontlet from an arboreal bromeliad flower. The ravine represents an island among agricultural Military Macaw Ara militaris fields and Eucalyptus. We failed to find the species On 20 August, a flock of 16 flew overhead, c. 7 km in an adjacent ravine that was more open, drier, south-east of Tamborapa (05°24'S 78°51'W), 43 km and dominated by montane scrub. As suggested by north of Jaén, dpto. Cajamarca. Also reported in Stattersfield et al.14, a more thorough analysis of Tabaconas–Namballe Reserve15, the species is the area is required to assess the population status known to move into deciduous forest following sea of the species. sonal rains to take advantage of ephemeral food sources8. Marvellous Spatuletail Loddigesia mirabilis Observed foraging on up to four different red flow Yellow-faced Parrotlet Forpus xanthops ers with conical corolla, as well as on shrubs at forest Only one pair was seen in the Marañón valley near edges, hedgerows and stands of Bomares Balsas. Hunting appears to have decreased in this formosissima (known locally as romero). As sug area (see Peruvian Pigeon). A local ex-hunter in gested by Fjeldså & Krabbe6, females and immature Bellavista, near Celendin, suggested that during our males outnumbered adult males 10:1. Males were visit on 28 July, parrotlets were concentrated in the shyer, moving inconspicuously among bushes when upper valleys within the upper río Marañón drain travelling between flowers within a patch, and never age. perching on exposed branches. They flew c. 10 m above the vegetation when moving between patches. Grey-cheeked Parakeet Brotogeris pyrrhopterus Males used patches of romero that included larger Three separate pairs flew overhead at El Caucho, bushes used for sheltering. One observed for over Tumbes National Forest, on 25 August. an hour consistently returned to the same patch, despite romero being widespread in the area. Adults Rufous Nightjar Caprimulgus rufus, Spot-tailed were submissive to Green Violetear Colibri Nightjar C. maculicaudus and Blackish Night thalassinus and Long-tailed Sylph Aglaiocercus kingi jar C. nigrescens and sheltered in neighbouring bushes when either Rufous Nightjar has been reported at scattered lo of these species entered the area where male cations in Peru, while Spot-tailed Nightjar is spatuletails foraged, but we observed a female patchily distributed and, in Peru, known only from spatuletail pursue a Green Violetear from a flower Pampas del Heath, and Blackish Nightjar is associ ing patch. Observations were also made (31 July–2 ated with dark rock adjacent to Amazonian rivers. August) half-way between Pedro Ruiz and Florida- On 12–15 August, the two first-named species sang Pomacochas (05°50'S 77°55'W), dpto. Amazonas, at each day at dusk and dawn, at Jesus del Monte c. 1800 m. It was uncommon in this area, but little (06°03'S 76°48'W), dpto. San Martín, sometimes is known concerning the species’ status elsewhere near one another (both were tape-recorded). A within its range. It is probable that vegetation com Blackish Nightjar with a recently fledged chick was position, foraging preferences and interactions with seen at c.700 m on the road between Tarapoto and other hummingbirds vary, which may influence its Yurimaguas (06°29'S 76°19'W), on 13 August. These relative abundance. records constitute range extensions or new locali ties in Peru for all three species.