LATEST COTINGA 22 27/7/04 1:10 pm Page 47 Cotinga 22 The threatened birds of the río Frío Valley, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia Ralf Strewe and Cristobal Navarro Cotinga 22 (2004): 47–55 La cuenca del rió Frió es un área de 37.000 ha ubicado en la vertiente occidental de la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, dpto. Magdalena, Colombia. Después de más de 80 años de las investiga- ciones de Todd & Carriker16 sobre la avifauna de la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, estudios amplios fueron realizados en bosques húmedos premontanos y montanos, y páramo, en elevaciones desde 650 hasta 4.200 m, en la cuenca del rió Frío, entre el 2000–2001. Se presenta un listado anotado de las 285 especies de la zona y se colectaron datos de especies endémicas y con rangos restringidos. Se analiza la situación de 13 especies amenazadas. Basado en los resultados se identificaron prioridades de conservación, se diseñó un corredor de conservación y se desarrollo una estrategia de conservación de hábitats y nominado la cuenca del río Frío como Área Importante para la Conservación de Aves en Colombia (AICA). The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is an isolated humid montane and pre-montane forest, and pyramid-shaped massif on the Caribbean coast of tropical humid forest, in the lower valley. Below 500 north-east Colombia, close to the border with m very little forest persists, as the land is Venezuela. The twin snow-covered peaks of Pico intensively farmed and used for cattle grazing, Simon Bolivar and Pico Cristobal reach 5,775 m whilst the sea-level plain (which naturally held just 46 km from the Caribbean coast, representing tropical lowland forest) is nearly totally covered by the world’s highest coastal massif. The Sierra intensive banana plantations. At 500–2,000 m, the Nevada is separated to the south from the Central valley represents a mosaic of humid pre-montane Andean Cordillera by 330 km of floodplains, and forest fragments, shade-coffee plantations and from the Serranía de Perijá to its east and south- pasture. From 2,000 m to the treeline still larger east by the low valleys of the ríos Ranchería and forest fragments exist. Field work was centred on César. The massif is among the world’s most El Congo reserve (10o59’N 74o04’W; c.40 ha), owned important continental avian endemism centres, by Fundación Pro-Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, with 18 endemic species and a further 55 endemic which protects one of the last forest fragments at subspecies, wholly restricted to this montane area. 650–1,050 m in the middle río Frío Valley. The Sierra Nevada Endemic Bird Area (EBA 036) The limits of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta has 27 restricted-range species, of which nine occur National Park are above 2,000 m and the Indian within additional EBAs. Eight bird species of the reserve of Kogi-Malayo extends above 2,500 m. eco-region are restricted to EBA 035, Caribbean Access to the higher parts of the valley, above Colombia and Venezuela16. 2,500 m, were limited during the study period, due We present data from the first ornithological to problems with permissions from the indigenous survey of the río Frío Valley, on the western slope of the massif, collected during field work for a project entitled ‘Habitat conservation of migratory and resident bird species in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta’, conducted in 2000–2001 on the northern and western slopes of the massif. Given the avifaunal importance of the area, we present the status of all bird species recorded in the area, as well as more detailed information for threatened species. Study area and methods The 37,000-ha río Frío watershed lies on the west flank of the Santa Marta massif, in the municipal- ity of Ciénaga, dpto. Magdalena (Fig. 1). The river’s source is in the páramo, at the lagoons of Chubdula (10o54’N 73o53’W; c.3,900 m), from where the steep- sided V-shaped valley descends to the plain of the Ciénaga Grande. The valley encompasses the Figure 1. Map of the río Frío valley, Sierra Nevada de Santa following life zones: páramo, above 3,500 m, and Marta, north-east Colombia. 47 LATEST COTINGA 22 27/7/04 1:10 pm Page 48 3 2 4 5 6 8 7 9 10 11 48 LATEST COTINGA 22 27/7/04 1:10 pm Page 49 Cotinga 22 Threatened birds of the río Frío Valley, Colombia community within the reserve boundaries, and the within the Sierra Nevada Endemic Bird Area (EBA security situation. 036). Three others are range-restricted species Darlington3 conducted 14 months of ornitholog- known from EBA 036, but also occur in other EBAs. ical work in dry and humid parts of the coastal In total, 55 Santa Marta endemic subspecies were plain near the small town of Río Frío. In the pre- recorded in the study area (Appendix 1). montane and montane zones, the closest areas that have been surveyed are on the northern slope of the Threatened species Sierra Nevada, along the San Lorenzo ridge Accounts are presented for 13 threatened species of (11o06’N 74o04’W) in the vicinity of Santa Marta the río Frío valley, including 11 species considered city, where ornithological studies have continued globally threatened according to BirdLife since the publication of Todd & Carriker17. The International1 (one Critical, two Endangered, three latter intensively collected in this area in the early Vulnerable, five Near Threatened), and two 20th century, over a period of several years and at additional species from the Colombian Red Data different sites and elevations within the Sierra Book11. Nevada. We visited the río Frío valley on seven Black-fronted Wood-quail Odontophorus atrifrons occasions, each of 5–10 days (over a total of Owing to its small and fragmented range and 48 days), in June 2000–July 2001, and surveyed habitat loss, considered Vulnerable1,5. In the Sierra different habitats at 650–4,200 m. Standardised Nevada, Black-fronted Wood-quail is principally methodologies and techniques for assessing bird known from the San Lorenzo ridge4,8,17.Within the population abundance were utilised, namely mist- río Frío Valley it was uncommon in pre-montane netting (15 x 12 m nets), fixed-radius point counts, forest fragments and shade-grown coffee non-systematic field observations and tape- plantations, at 850–2,500 m. At El Congo reserve recordings. Knowledge exchange with local six groups were noted calling at dusk and dawn. residents concerning the sierra’s avifauna produced additional information. Blue-billed Curassow Crax alberti We confirmed the presence of a small population of Results this Critically Endangered Colombian endemic In total, 285 bird species of 42 families were within the río Frío Valley1,2. At El Congo reserve recorded in the middle and upper río Frío Valley three pairs were found, with observations in (Appendix 1). The checklist for the Sierra Nevada primary forest and males heard calling in de Santa Marta region includes 672 species (Strewe January–March 2001. Juveniles were observed by unpubl.). Characteristic families are Trochilidae local people outside the reserve boundaries, in the (20 species), Thraupidae (27 species) and, lower Congo Valley, at 650 m, in April 2001, especially, Tyrannidae (43 species). We collected indicating that breeding still occurs in the area. A information on 18 species with limited ranges group of five was seen by locals, c.20 km from El Congo reserve, at Piedras Blancas, within the main río Frío Valley, at 750 m, in 1999 (I. Padierna pers. Figure 2. Santa Marta Antpitta Grallaria bangsi (Ralf Strewe) comm.). Within its limited range, the species is Figure 3. Blossomcrown Anthocephala floriceps (Ralf Strewe) declining due to habitat destruction and hunting pressure. A species-focused protection campaign is Figure 4. Santa Marta Brush-finch Atlapetes melanocephalus underway, and hunting is now controlled by local (Ralf Strewe) authorities within the valley. Figure 5. White-lored Warbler Basileuterus conspicillatus (Ralf Strewe) Andean Condor Vultur gryphus Figure 6. White-tailed Starfrontlet Coeligena phalerata Treated as Endangered in the Colombian Red Data (Ralf Strewe) Book11.We recorded three at 3,500–4,000 m in April Figure 7. Santa Marta Warbler Basileuterus basilicus 2001. Local people reported the species lower, at (Ralf Strewe) 2,200 m, in a very steep and narrow part of the río Frío Valley, where it may also breed. Figure 8. Rufous-headed Spinetail Synallaxis fuscorufa (Ralf Strewe) Semi-collared Hawk Accipiter collaris Figure 9. Streak-capped Spinetail Cranioleuca hellmayri This little-known raptor, considered Near (Ralf Strewe) Threatened1,11,was recorded in the río Frío Valley, Figure 10. Yellow-crowned Whitestart Myioborus flavivertex with individuals or pairs hunting at forest borders (Ralf Strewe) and over shade-grown coffee plantations, at Figure 11. Santa Marta Tapaculo Scytalopus sanctaemartae 1,050–1,600 m. The species is rare and highly (Ralf Strewe) sensitive to human disturbance. 49 LATEST COTINGA 22 27/7/04 1:10 pm Page 50 Cotinga 22 Threatened birds of the río Frío Valley, Colombia Black-and-chestnut Eagle Oroaetus isidori Santa Marta Antpitta Grallaria bangsi Considered Endangered in the Colombian Red Inhabits humid montane forest and mature Data Book11, but not treated as globally secondary woodland at 1,200–2,400 m and is threatened1.From the río Frío Valley there is only considered globally Near Threatened1, and one record, of a pair soaring over montane forest, at Vulnerable in the Colombian Red Data Book11.A 2,800 m, in April 2001. new locality, not mentioned by Kattan & Renjifo9, was found in the río Frío valley, where five were Military Macaw Ara militaris heard calling along a 4.5-km trail in April 2001, and In the middle and upper río Frío Valley this one was caught, in March 2001, in a pre-montane Vulnerable1,11 species is only present during the forest patch at 1,800–2,400 m.