Cloud Forest Reserve Created In Ecuador To Conserve Endangered Parrot
Parrots have the largest number of threatened species of all bird families in the world: Almost one-third of all parrot species are under threat of extinction.
The Red-faced Parrot, Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops, is a vanishingly rare species that dwells in the montane cloud forests of the high Andes in southern Ecuador and adjoining parts of northern Peru. Thanks to deforestation, mostly for grazing and agriculture, this parrot's population is rapidly decreasing. In 2023, there was estimated to be between 1200 and 1600 individuals alive worldwide, so the species was formally classified as Endangered by IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Most people – even the most avid birders and aviculturists – have never seen nor even heard about these Neotropical parrots, and to the best of my knowledge, they are not kept in any zoo collections. Red-faced Parrots are quite small, roughly 22 cm (8.5 inches) long. They are mostly emerald green in color but they have a beautiful royal blue tail that is relatively short and sharply pointed, royal blue primaries, reddish-orange shoulders, forehead, face and throat, with lemon-yellow streaks on their ear coverts. (If I was in charge of such things, I'd name this lovely bird the flame-faced parrot.)
These parrots usually are seen in pairs or small flocks that fly rapidly over the forest and then disappear quickly into the canopy, where they can be very hard to see whilst they forage for fruits behind foliage.
To protect the dwindling population of these parrots, a new nature reserve in Selva Alegre, Ecuador was created by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and its partners, the Rainforest Trust and the Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco, specifically to help conserve this rare parrot's habitat. This nature reserve comprises 518 acres (210 hectares), with a total of 1,388 acres (500 hectares) being the ultimate goal.
The nature reserve was named the 'Ridgely Reserve' in honor of the world-renowned neotropical ornithologist and conservation biologist Robert Ridgely. Dr Ridgely has long advocated for the establishment of private nature reserves as a species conservation strategy. With this idea in mind, Dr Ridgely helped set up the Fundación Jocotoco in 1998 to preserve the bamboo and wet montane forests on the slopes of Cerro Tapichalaca in the eastern Andes – specifically to conserve the Jocotoco Antpitta, Grallaria ridgelyi, a bird species that Dr Ridgely discovered in 1997.
'Rainforest Trust board member and ex-President Bob Ridgely has committed his life to conserving Ecuador's rich biodiversity, especially birds, and it is so fitting that his name will grace the newest reserve established and managed by the Ecuadorian NGO he founded, Jocotoco Foundation,' said zoologist James Deutsch, CEO of the Rainforest Trust.
"The Rainforest Trust is honored to support this initiative.'
'Bob Ridgely and all the other founders of Jocotoco have created a remarkable legacy by establishing our reserves, founding the Jocotoco Foundation, and expanding our protected areas across Ecuador,' elaborated conservation biologist Martin Schaefer, CEO of Jocotoco.
'Today, we can see how that legacy has flourished, with the Ridgely Reserve in southern Ecuador serving as a prime example. This new sanctuary in Selva Alegre, home to the world's largest known population of the Endangered Red-faced Parrot, shows our commitment to safeguarding Ecuador's incredible biodiversity. The reserve plays a key role in ensuring that our conservation legacy continues to thrive, inspiring future generations of conservationists.'
The Ridgely Nature Reserve is located in the Chilla Mountain Range near Saraguro in southern Ecuador. It comprises a stunted forest of tough and gnarly Andean Polylepis trees and shrubs that grow at elevations of 5,000 meters, making them the highest altitude trees in the world. These high altitude forests gradually transition into Northern Andean Páramo habitat, which are wet grasslands located above the tree line and below the snow line within the equatorial Andes. The páramo is home to the greatest biodiversity of high elevation open vegetation types in the world interspersed with pines, along with eucalyptus plantations, and agricultural and livestock areas in the lower valleys.
Tragically, human driven deforestation has increased dramatically in this ecosystem in southern Ecuador during the past 28 years to support local grazing and agriculture activities. Currently, these activities cover 46% of the total area of Selva Alegre and contribute to the growing pressures on biodiversity and valuable (and vanishing) ecosystems.
'The Red-faced Parrot is a very rare Neotropical species whose habitat is restricted to montane cloud forests of southern Ecuador and adjacent northern Peru,' reported ecologist Marcelo Tognelli, the International Project Officer at ABC. 'Unfortunately, deforestation and habitat loss have been contributing to its rapid decline. The creation of the Ridgely Reserve in southern Ecuador will help ensure this endangered species thrives by improving habitat connectivity, while also providing a healthier environment for local communities.'
This new reserve serves as a bright promise that will not only help wildlife but will also benefit local communities such as the Guambuzari community that Jocotoco collaborates with. Guambuzari land connects with several of Jocotoco's reserves, so the goal is to create a corridor for habitat connectivity to aid wildlife movement and to establish effective regional protection in this area. This will generate numerous environmental benefits for the Guambuzari as well as for the residents in the city of Saraguro, and in surrounding areas – clean water for human consumption, reduction of landslides, preservation of the area's unique ecosystems, and – potentially – generate local economic benefits from ecotourism.
Ecuador as a country is almost as big as the US state of Colorado, but it is a global biodiversity hotspot that is home to nearly 1,600 bird species. In contrast, the entire continental USA hosts about 800 regularly observed species. Although this area in Ecuador has not been fully explored, more than 90 bird species have already been recorded there. The star attraction of the reserve – Red-faced Parrots – have been consistently recorded there since the mid-1990s, making it the best-known location for this very rare species. This concentration of biodiversity highlights the importance of protecting Ecuador's habitats and the species that depend on them.
Creating nature reserves has been a badge of honor for ABC since its founding 30 years ago. Together with its partners and local communities, ABC has protected over 1.1 million acres of land in more than 100 nature reserves spread across 15 countries, benefiting 3,000 bird species to date – roughly 30% of the world's total.
Partner Jocotoco has become a leader in conservation and nature-based tourism and has helped set the standard for international bird conservation. Jocotoco has collaborated with the Rainforest Trust on 14 conservation projects covering 63,914 acres, with an additional 3,726 acres in progress.
The Ridgely Reserve is part of the larger Conserva Aves initiative, led by ABC, National Audubon Society, BirdLife International, Birds Canada, and the Latin American and Caribbean Network of Environmental Funds (RedLAC), and supported by the Bezos Earth Fund. The initiative aims to foster climate resilience and sustainable development.
Answers to my questions, related materials and photographs courtesy of Agatha Szczepaniak, a media relations specialist with the American Bird Conservancy.
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