June 2010 1

Sep2011cover&contents.p65 1 9/2/2011, 5:35 PM FEATURE

Patagonia has long attracted the quickly through Fundación on the high plateaus east of the Collecting field data on the attention of naturalists from all Vida Silvestre Argentina Andes. It breeds on a few is harsh to say the least, parts of the globe. Yet this (FVSA, the Wildlife Foundation basaltic lakes in the interior of given the inhospitable habitat it remote region, which includes of Argentina) by creating a Santa Cruz, extreme south-west lives in, the ferocity of the the planet’s southernmost private reserve at Los Argentina, with only occasional weather, the poor accessibility wetlands and grasslands, still Escarchados lagoon, where the and poorly documented and the huge distances to be holds many of the natural was discovered, about 150 records from near Torres del covered. The plateau lakes are world’s mysteries. km east of the well known Paine, in Magallanes, southern checked by researchers in 4WD In 1974, Mauricio Rumboll, Perito Moreno Glacier (Los Chile. vehicles, on horseback, or even a remarkable Argentinean Glaciares National Park). In winter, the species on foot. The researchers go naturalist, took part in one of At first, only some 250 undertakes an extraordinary equipped with clothing and the great discoveries that Hooded were thought to journey. When the high plateau camping gear designed for high Patagonia yields from time to exist; the species was considered lakes are frozen, the majority of mountain expeditions. time. He was immensely the rarest in the country. In the population moves to the After the winter discoveries surprised when one of his the subsequent two decades, a Atlantic coast of Santa Cruz of 1994, a period of silence and students brought to his attention thorough survey of the plateaus province, crossing the calm followed. The assumption a grebe that he soon realised of Santa Cruz province was Patagonian steppe. The only was that the grebe was safe, was new to science. It was an undertaken and the estimated known wintering grounds are given its numbers and the outstanding discovery, all the grebe population was believed the río Santa Cruz, Coyle and remoteness of its habitat. more surprising when we to be 3,000–5,000. This was Gallegos estuaries. The grebes Almost a decade went by. Then, consider that the probably a considerable migrate at night, making their news of the very low numbers gallardoi is a rather underestimate, given the movements hard to track, so found in winter counts by the conspicuous and large bird, technological limitations of the mystery of where they went Asociación Ambiente Sur (AS), about half a kilogram in weight, fieldwork in those days. In 1994, in winter was not solved until based in Santa Cruz, was picked with colourful plumage, a it was downlisted from 1994. But the whereabouts of up by BirdLife Partner Aves distinctive voice and an Threatened to Near Threatened the immature during this Argentinas (AA). attractive breeding display. on the IUCN Red List. harsh season and their In 2009, a team of The emerging conservation During the breeding migration routes, remain a big naturalists and technicians from groups in Argentina reacted season, the grebe occurs solely unknown. AS and AA surveyed the most

16 WorldBirdwatch

Sep20011Grebe.p65 16 9/2/2011, 4:16 PM Hooded Grebe was only discovered in 1974 (Diego Punta Fernandez)

relevant plateau lakes over three very low, the species may be population, perhaps close to most isolated places. This weeks, counting grebes and adapted to survive a succession 80%, when compared to that industry is threatening not only attempting to locate breeding of poor breeding seasons. But, recorded in the 1980s. In the the future of the grebe but also colonies. The outcome was with numbers falling so rapidly, 1980s an average of 2,500 the rest of the wildlife present in disheartening: many of the lakes the loss of entire breeding individuals were found at the 78 those environments”, Gustavo were dry or becoming clogged colonies to wind damage could most important lakes, but in Costa added. Also evident are with silt as a result of the general have a significant impact. 2010/11 only 400 were detected, the increasing numbers of Kelp desertification of the region, Counts on the wintering despite surveying most of those Gull Larus dominicanus, a leading to changes in the grounds suggested a decline of 78 lakes and around 120 other known predator of the grebe that composition of the water. Water 40% over seven years. Surveys lakes. has benefited both from the fish levels at known breeding sites conducted in December 2006 While there is speculation industry and from poor waste were 2–3 m lower than in and January 2009, which that numbers fluctuate management at human previous years. revisited key known breeding dramatically at breeding sites settlements. Climate change might be a sites surveyed in 1987 and 1998, from year to year, driven by As if these problems were major threat to this species and also found sharp declines. movements rather than actual not enough to push an already its habitat: anecdotal reports Numbers fell from 452 to 51 at population fluctuations, the struggling species over the edge, suggest that recent winter Laguna del Sello. Laguna del overall declines detected on the a breeding colony which AA and snowfall has been much reduced, Islote, Tolderia Grande and wintering and breeding grounds AS were studying in March 2011 without a corresponding Lagunas Encadenadas, (700, 90 appeared to be real and rapid. was devastated by another pest increase in precipitation at other and 198 individuals repectively “Our teams started to be that is advancing in western times. Strong winds have caused in previous counts), no Hooded worried when we realised that Patagonia: the around 50% of all breeding Grebes were found. The species there was more than one cause Neovison vison. Over 30 breeding attempts in the last three years was uplisted from Near to tackle if we were to conserve adults were killed, and over 40 (2009–2011) to fail. Recent Threatened to Endangered in the grebe”, said Gustavo Costa, eggs abandoned. investigations indicate that wind 2009. President of Aves Argentinas. “This was a sad day, but at gusts have significantly increased The situation has worsened In many of the lakes in the least it meant that we had in recent decades. At other times since then: data obtained in the grebe’s core distribution, exotic discovered one other reason for this threat would be marginal; last three seasons point to a trout were being introduced. its decline—and a very with adult mortality naturally clear reduction in the estimated “Trout rearing has reached the frightening one at that—that

September 2011 17

Sep20011Grebe.p65 17 9/2/2011, 4:16 PM Hooded Grebe: the next member of the ‘extinct grebes club’?

reserve in 1979, but is now incredible ‘new’ species known to hold only a marginal fluttering to the same fate as the population. Six individuals were , the Colombian recorded within Perito Moreno Grebe and the Atitlan Grebe. National Park, Argentina in Several key organisations are 1992. Key breeding lakes in the investing in this. They need our core of the grebe’s range lack any help.” kind of legal protection, but the Aves Argentinas is seeking population stronghold on funding for a range of actions to Meseta de Strobel is afforded ensure the survival of the some protection by its Hooded Grebe, including remoteness and inaccessibility. implementation of summer and “Thanks to support from the winter surveys in 2012, 2013 and ABOVE Surveying Hooded Grebes requires working in very remote areas AV Jensen Foundation, we are 2014, embracing the entirety of (Diego Punta Fernandez) prioritising Lago Buenos Aires the Buenos Aires, Asador, Las BELOW Introduced American Mink killed over 30 breeding adults in March plateau”, says Fabián Rabuffetti, Vizcachas, Viedma, Cardiel and (Ignacio Roesler) Director of Conservation at Aves Strobel plateaus, the Coyle and Argentinas. “This site should be Gallegos estuaries, as well as declared a Ramsar site (a any of the plateaus reachable in wetland of international winter. Surveys will also be importance) and there are carried out on previously opportunities to create a national unsearched plateaus. park in this area.” Among the On the ground, conservation targets of the action plan is agents will be assigned to the advocacy at a national level for species’ breeding and wintering the creation of a Hooded Grebe grounds during 2012, 2013 and National Park. 2014, to execute a monitoring The wild territories inhabited plan and implement by Hooded Grebe also harbour a conservation measures. vast number of and plant There will be a programme rarities, including endemic and/ to eradicate mink, to control or undescribed lizards. They are numbers on the important for populations of breeding grounds and to protect restricted-range birds which breeding sites from strong occur only in the Southern winds. Local farm workers will could allow us to implement fewer than 250 individuals, had Patagonia Endemic Bird Area. be encouraged to become suitable management actions in suffered a further population Significant percentages of the ‘Guardians of the Hooded the field”, said Gustavo Costa. decline. world population of migrant Grebe’, monitoring the presence Members of the research “This is why we are Nearctic shorebirds such as or absence of the birds, and team in 2010 also observed developing an action plan for Baird’s Sandpiper Calidris bairdii giving early warnings of Hooded Grebes nests being the Hooded Grebe, that involves and Wilson’s Phalarope potential new threats to the robbed by Black-necked Swan research, pest control and Steganopus tricolor use these species. The conservationists Cygnus melancoryphus, advocacy at every level”, said wetlands as wintering habitat. will seek agreements with behaviour which had not been Dr Andrés Bosso, Director of Finally, cultural artefacts such as landowners on the plateaus and previously recorded and which the International Cooperation petroglyphs and rock paintings purchase and protect properties may indicate that environmental Programme of Aves Argentinas. dating as far back as 10,000 as private reserves. changes are leading to increases The meeting to develop the years are abundant on many Ringing/banding and in interspecific competition. species action plan took place at sheltered rock faces overlooking satellite tracking will be used to A stark shadow was cast Aves Argentinas’s headquarters, the lakes used by the birds. improve knowledge of the over Aves Argentinas’s findings in July 2009, bringing together “This is a fascinating and birds’ movements and to when, in May 2010, Alaotra specialists from Ambiente Sur, complex scenario. Its destiny determine where juvenile Grebe rufolavatus Aves Argentinas, and depends massively on urgent Hooded Grebes spend the of Madagascar was declared Fundacion Vida Silvestre concrete conservation actions to winter. Simultaneously, there extinct; this was the third known Argentina. ensure the existence of its most will be a campaign to raise grebe since the last “We need to strengthen the significant jewel, the Hooded awareness of Hooded Grebe quarter of the 20th century, protected areas system in the Grebe,” said Gustavo Costa. “If among the people of Argentina after Colombian Grebe region”, Andrés Bosso added. we were not to act accordingly, and to have the bird declared a Podiceps andinus and Atitlan “Eight Important Bird Areas the future decade could witness National Monument. Grebe gigas. This (IBAs) contain the species, but the disappearance of a WB followed news that the Critically only one is fully protected.” Patagonian symbol and a Endangered Junín Grebe The site where the species was beautiful representative of this By Hernán Casañas, Podiceps taczanowskii, which discovered in 1974, Laguna Los attractive avian family. We have Santiago Imberti and already had a population of Escarchados, was declared a just enough time to avoid this Ignacio Roesler

18 WorldBirdwatch

Sep20011Grebe.p65 18 9/2/2011, 4:16 PM HOODED GREBE APPEAL

In early 2011, thirty breeding adult Hooded Grebes were killed by introduced American Mink. Forty eggs were also abandoned. This loss is unsustainable for the species. Urgent funds are needed now to implement the measures needed to protect grebes this coming breeding season. We need your help to prevent this happening again. Please support the BirdLife Preventing Programme and its work for Hooded Grebe. September 2011 19

Sep20011Grebe.p65 19 9/2/2011, 4:16 PM